


The King of Kings

by NothingSoSpecial



Series: The King Trilogy [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: FanFiction.Net, Loki Will Always Be Awesome, NothingSoSpecial, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 41
Words: 79,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1790890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NothingSoSpecial/pseuds/NothingSoSpecial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"One year after Ceil Zak'Vael's defeat, tensions are running in all new highs as anticipation for the Black Hunt's return takes its toll. After reaching a breaking point with Loki, who has grown distant as "the inevitable" looms closer, Thor returns to Earth in hopes of clearing his head before the fight that is to come. However, his "pity party" is quickly interrupted when he inexplicably reunites with the Avengers, who give him some disturbing news: millions of people have been disappearing, and some of the biggest cities in the world have gone dark. With S.H.I.E.L.D scrambling for answers, they are finally forced go after the one man they believe capable of such chaos- Loki. Now, tasked with saving the Earth from certain doom- and his brother from wrongful imprisonment- while at the same time trying to find a reason to keep fighting, Thor's got to decide what's worth what and, most importantly, why, before an old enemy returns to wreck havoc on the one place that was supposed to stay safe- and with a near-silent, morose Loki by his side and constant infighting within the Avengers to boot, Thor's got his work cut out for him… but when tragedy strikes too close to home, it's time to get serious."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Year of Silence

****Chapter One: The Year of Silence.** **

**"Your silence will not protect you."**

**\- Audre Lord.**

**I** **t had been a year.**

_A year since the All-Mother's death at the hands of Malekith, a year to the day of Loki Odinsson's would-be death and his subsequent resurrection by Odin, and a year to the day of the Dark Elf King's plot to use the Aether to converge and destroy the Nine Realms, and his so-called "miraculous" defeat by Thor._

_Yet, no one said a word about it._

_Usually, by the ancient traditions, Asgard would mark a day such as this with both mourning at the terrible losses, and celebration at the great victory that came of them, but this time, there were merely only whispers and odd, almost lost looks about the palace; and to top it all off, a terse explanation to the Honored King, Axel Hernsson, when he dared asked the specialness of the day._

Isn't it odd how people say that certain dates are so sacred, _He remarked that afternoon, in a cautious, though amused undertone to one of his ever-present Advisers,_ Even while the date's true purpose is disregarded or almost entirely forgotten?

_They moved on to more pressing matters from there._

_Or so it truly seemed._

**N._.s._.S**

**The Courtyard was covered with thick, rolling layers of mist, and it only worsened as Thor Odinsson slowly made his way down the gilded stairs toward the lake, where he could just barely make out a tall, thin figure standing there, surrounded by a strange, translucent golden light that somehow easily speared through it.**

As the God of Thunder approached, the mist seemed to part silently away in an oddly sharp, fixed manner, to reveal Loki, wrapped in an old, heavy traveling cloak and trailing jade-green woolen scarf, standing on the shores of the lake, arm stretched out to accommodate the large, luminescent golden bird that perched there.

_The past year had been hard for them both._

_Especially on Loki._

As Thor made the last few steps toward him, the golden bird gave a single flap of its powerful wings and took off, disappearing into the murky, miserable-looking gray sky as the God of Thunder made to stand next to his younger brother, who waited a few long, tense silent moments before he spoke.

"Come to check whether or not I'm still breathing, are we?" Loki's tone was bitter, without a hint of that old, sarcastic facetiousness that Thor had come to expect and, eventually, even love.

When Thor doesn't answer right away, the God of Mischief chuckled mirthlessly at the uncomfortable silence that ensured as he finally turned to look at him.

_And it showed._

The strange-looking, sharp veins that had started around his brother's eyes had reached half-way down his face by now, making his already too-pale, gaunt face look even worse than it already did, and patches of the blackish things had even begun emerging elsewhere, especially around his torso- thus the black cloak, gloves, and scarf. He rest of his body looked even worse, having become even thinner during the course of the year.

Thankfully, Thor managed not to flinch.

Loki hated it when people flinched when looking at him.

"That is not why I have come."

There had even been short stretches of days, usually between two and four, when his brother never made it out of his third-floor room. During these times, someone, usually the Head Medic, Sanat Eir, would sit just outside the door, and upon every hour, enter to check on him-

To make sure the God of Mischief was still alive.

Fevers and fits of illness had certainly taken their toll on him over the past year, but that was the least of their worries, especially as another very important date loomed closer and closer.

_"… **I am going to die."**_

Now, Thor flinched without thinking.

Loki noticed the barely visible reaction, and his lips thinned into a tight line and he turned quickly away, grinding his heels in the sand with his haste and making the God of Thunder swear inwardly at himself for allowing those horrible, but long-since uttered words get the better of him.

Again.

"Well, then," Loki finally answered, in a forced, cheerful voice, after letting the silence continue for a long, strained silence, "Care to tell me what you _are_ here for?"

"A meeting," Thor told him, making the God of Mischief look back at him, his tired, jade-green eyes narrowing a little as his thin brows furrowed together in sudden interest, "We need you there."

"... I see."

**N._.s._.S**

**Odin gave Thor and Loki both an approving nod when they entered the meeting room.** While Thor returned their father's gesture, Loki, as per usual, did not; instead turning to Axel Hernsson, his voice already taking on that sharp, strong tone that always arose when this particular matter came up.

"Anything?"

 _Only more sightings and speculations, I'm afraid,_ The Honored King answered, apparently unperturbed by the God of Mischief's sharp tone, _The Black Hunt are- or rather, were- the finest warriors my people had to offer. They shall not be apprehended easily._

"Where were they sighted?" Thor asked of him with a warning look at Loki, who ignored it.

_The Jotunheim._

Again, Thor managed to steal a glance at Loki, and this time he found that shock had taken over his younger brother's usually tranquil features- and Thor thought he saw him sneak a slightly trembling, gloved hand into his pocket, feeling for the little, cracked green soul Thor knew was there.

"What are they doing there?" Loki demanded, quietly.

_If I knew, I'd obviously have told you already._

"There's no way they can survive in the Jotunheim for very long," Thor answered before Loki could say anything more, "Not without help, at least."

It was well-known by now that the Vael's greatest weakness was water. It cracked their black, clay-like hides and revealed the white, fibrous skin and innards hidden within. After taking out the skin, it only took the slightest amount of sunlight to literally burn them alive.

Thor and Loki both knew this by personal experience.

"I would have seen them," Loki said, suddenly, before Axel could respond, seemingly speaking more to himself than the others, "They could not have gotten in... unless..."

His eyes flashed and widened again, and his shoulders leveled in what could only have been anger.

"Any idea where they've set up?"

_I know for certain it's somewhere near, around, or even inside Laufey's abandoned hall._

"Of course," Loki answered, almost knowingly now, "They'd need the stone to protect them from the storms."

Thor knew the look that crossed his brother's pale features at that statement- it was the old, _"I've made my decision"_ look, the one that he'd seen several times over the course of the last year.

Mostly during the rare instances Thor had seen him up close; because Loki had been avoiding him.

"Why the Jotunheim?" This time, it was Odin who spoke up, with his one good, bright azure eye trained on Loki's turned back as he added, "There is nothing of value within that barren place."

 _Perhaps the place itself is what they seek,_ Axel answered, looking over at Odin with his abnormally large, bright maroon eyes, _A place so isolated that only one alive may venture safely into._

"A trap, then?" Thor concluded.

"If it's a trap, it's a bad one," Loki declared with a humorless smirk, "I am not so dense."

 _The Black Hunt would never underestimate us, not after Ceil Zak'Vael's defeat,_ Axel countered, rather sharply, at Thor's guess and Loki's derisive response, _No, not a trap. Just simply a place to wait._

"They've spent a whole year waiting," Thor protested, "Why move now?"

_Because it's been a year._

The room went dead silent at that statement, and Thor saw Loki's hand clench in his pocket as, for the first time, a truly, painfully worried crossed his already pale, tense features.

"So you think they're..." The thought was so horrible that Thor couldn't finish it.

But Loki could.

"They're waiting for me to die," Loki finished, with an amused smirk this time, "... A clever move, I think."

"Loki."

Thor's voice shook with the warning, and his brother shot him a rather apathetic look.

"Ah, yes, I'd forgotten your _aversion_ to that particular topic," he added, rather sarcastically, "I'm sorry."

Thor doesn't answer and Odin's eye shifts between the two of them, his shrewd, bright azure gaze lingering on the both of them, in turn, until their gazes averted from one another, forced to back off and look away with the force of the it.

Axel Hernsson's bright, maroon eyes shift between all three of them in silence.

**N._.s._.S**

**After it became clear that there was nothing else to be gained by staying, Loki turned on his heels and left the meeting-room without so much as a glance back.** He passed Jane Foster on the way out, whom he smiled a little at as they passed shoulder-to-shoulder as the young woman made to enter the room he'd just exited.

_"How are you feeling?"_

_"Fine."_

This short conversation had become almost a ritual for the two over the course of the last year. Jane had first asked him that when he first came back downstairs after a full week of being locked in the Med Wing by a concerned (and maybe slightly maniacal) Sanat Eir, who insisted on preforming test after test, until Loki had finally had enough and threatened to flay the old man alive if he didn't let him leave in a reasonable amount of time.

Sanat Eir was all for letting him try.

Luckily, Odin intervened before Loki could make good on the threat.

As Loki continued back up to the third floor, he felt in his pocket for his soul, pulling out a strange-looking, multicolored little cube instead, keeping his head down and his eyes averted from the guards he passed as he reached the door to his room, pulling it open with a swift, strong arm.

Loki stared down at the vibrant colors before stowing it quietly away again, dropping it back into the pocket that not only contained the dim, cracked little soul, but something else that shimmered silver and sapphire as it caught the faint light hitting Loki's cloaked back.

Smiling, Loki slammed his door shut with a bang that echoed throughout the entire palace.

It was the first time he'd smiled for real in ages.

**N._.s._.S**


	2. Playing Hero

**Chapter Two: Playing Hero.**

**"Beware the fury of a patient man."**  
 **\- John Dryden**.

 **T** **he sun was just barely starting to rise over the horizon as a thin, tall figure made his way across the rainbow-colored bridge.** _His steps are long, confident, and purposeful, and as he approached the Bifrost, he is met by the Gatekeeper, Heimdall, who stared hard down at him with wary, bright golden eyes._

_Loki Odinsson lowered his hood as he came to stand before him.  
_

"I need to enter the Jotunheim," _He said, quite politely, looking up at Heimdall and careful to keep his palms facing outward in front of him to show the man he truly didn't mean him harm,_ "May I pass?"

"What of your own portal?" _Heimdall answered, calmly, not missing a beat._

"I can no longer open them."

_Heimdall's golden eyes narrow down at Loki at this admission, who simply looked right back up at him without another word, until, after a few long, considering moments, the Gatekeeper finally stepped aside._

"Come, then."

_Just as the sun's first rays reach the castle, Loki disappeared._

**N._.s._.S**

**L** **oki's disappearance wasn't noticed until noon.** It wasn't too unusual for the God of Mischief to not come downstairs for days at a time, sometimes for no good reason at all other than he just wanted to be alone, so it wasn't until Heimdall reported it that anyone even knew he'd left Asgard altogether.

Thor was the only one who reacted badly to the news.

Odin didn't look surprised in the least.

Axel Hernsson actually laughed and shook his head.

 _It seems as if he really_ is _that dense, after all!_ He declared, running his long-fingered, black hand through his bangs, bright maroon eyes flashing with utter disbelief, _My God, is he truly mad?_

"How long ago?" Odin turned to Heimdall, ignoring the Honored King's stricken exclamation.

"Sunrise."

"We must go after him!" Thor cut in, loudly, before the All-Father could say anything more, as the door shut behind the Gatekeeper as he made his way out, "There's no way he can beat them all by himself!"

"We don't even know if that's what he's doing!" Protested Sanat Eir, from his position near the door, leaning on his Blackwood staff and shooting the God of Thunder a disapproving look, "Besides, we can't afford to loose people to the Hunt now, and definitely not to the Jotunheim, either!"

"We can't _afford_ to loose _Loki_ , either!" Thor snapped back, firing up at once.

"Loki wouldn't just waltz into the Jotunheim without a plan!" The old Medic retorted, impatiently, "He may be insane, but he's not _that_ insane! He's got to know going in there is suicide!"

_Perhaps that's the point._

Thor, Eir, and even Odin turned on the Honored King instantly.

"I dare you to say that again," Thor challenged, over the suddenly deadly silence.

 _You are a fool,_ Axel Hernsson folded his arms defensively over his black chest and narrowed his suddenly too-bright, maroon eyes down at the God of Thunder as he added, almost venomously, _Even a greater fool than the one your precious little brother takes you for even as we speak._

"You-"

"That's enough!" The All-Father cut in, firmly, "Both of you, govern your tongues!"

For some reason, Axel heeded the warning instantly (even though as the Honored King, he stood on the same ground as Odin), and looked away, unfolding his arms only to fold them behind his back, refusing to look at Thor again as the God of Thunder shot him another menacing, daring look as, despite Odin's order, he spoke.

"My brother isn't insane," He said slowly, strongly, "Nor is he suicidal."

 _Then what is he?_ Axel demanded, his voice deadly and quiet, _What is he?_

"I don't know."

Axel gave a harsh, sharp bark of laughter as he shook his head again.

 _If you don't know_ what _he is, then how dare you say you know_ who _he is?_

****N._.s._.S** **

****C**** ****oming to the Jotunheim hadn't been a split-second decision- the revelation of the Vael's current location had only been the deciding factor for his actions today.** **

_He used one of his infamous holograms to get him through undetected into Laufey's vaults. They were fast, silent, and pretty much undetectable, which made them his most reliable tool for a mission such as this. He could control the copy from a safe distance away, hidden and shielded by the brewing storm of ice._

_He reverted back to his Jotun form to keep from catching cold-_

_-Which he apparently could in his Cursed state, if the painful ache in his bones wasn't proof enough._

_Since his illness worsened, it had been growing more and more difficult for him to keep the concentration needed for his spells, which is what the long hours of isolation in his room for the past year was for. There, he could block out the world around him and retain at least some small fraction of his power; this able to use them for something exactly like this._

_Loki had predicted the Vael would use the Jotunheim as their foothold into Asgard- it was the only place that made sense to him. It was too dangerous for them to return to the Vaelheim for any reason, and the other Realms, especially Earth, were being closely watched over by Heimdall._

_The Jotunheim, on the other hand..._

_As usual, it looked like he was right._

_From his position behind one of the half-demolished pillars, Loki watched his clone's cloaked and hooded back disappear into one of the deep catacombs that served as Laufey's once proud hall._

_It stepped over the threshold Odin had found the God of Mischief as an infant, millennia ago.  
_

_Shaking the memory out of his head and taking a deep, calming breath that eased the ache deep in his heart and bones, Loki tightened the cloak over his trembling shoulders, and closed his eyes so he could better control his clone as it descended into the darkness- heading into what, most likely, was a trap, ready and waiting._

_Loki depended on it._

****N._.s._.S** **

****"I**** ****'m going after him."** **

_I know._

That's what Odin, Jane, and Heimdall all said after Thor told them- no more, no less. It was like they all just expected him to take action, and that was just fine with the God of Thunder.

Thor wasn't just going to sit back and let Loki do this alone.

Not again.

_You can't do this alone._

Looking back, Thor should have known that he hadn't gotten through to his brother that day.

_And we'll win this together.  
_

He had never gotten through- not then, not before, and certainly not now.

_Without having to lie to each other first!_

But dammit, that wasn't going to stop him from trying again and again.

As Thor made his way across the Bridge toward the Bifrost, he saw Axel waiting for him, arms crossed and leaning against the entrance, where the God of Thunder could already see Heimdall prepping the portal that would take him directly to the Jotunheim-

And to Loki.

"You're not coming," Thor told the King, flatly, as he approached.

 _And I wouldn't come, even if my life depended on it,_ Axel answered, calmly, apparently completely unperturbed by Thor's ill-tempered tone, _I have merely come to offer you my most sincere advice._

"Concerning?"

_You, of course.  
_

"What is it?"

 _It's very short and simple, really,_ The Honored King answered, gravely, _Don't play the hero._

Thor shoved past him without another word.

The Honored King simply turns his back on the Bifrost and walks away.

****N._.s._.S** **


	3. Impasse I

****Chapter T** ** ****hree: Impasse I.** **

**" **Name one hero who was happy."****

****\- Madeline Miller.** **

****S**** ****omeone was really getting some serious enjoyment out of messing with him like this, Loki was sure.** **

His footsteps are maddeningly loud as he ran down the hallways, skidding dangerously across the stone flooring as he turned sharp corners and jumped entire flights of stairs as he trailed right behind his broad-shouldered, crimson-caped older brother who kept just out of reach as Loki tried desperately to catch up to him.

Loki had seen Thor enter Laufey's catacombs- following what was obviously the clone; but for some reason, no matter how many times Loki called out for him, and no matter how far or for how long he chased the God of Thunder through the half-decimated chambers, he never gave a sign he ever saw or even heard him.

"Thor! _Wait!"_

If- no, _when_ the God of Mischief caught him, his brother would have hell to pay.

 _Absolute_ hell.

_"Thor!"_

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ** **hor arrived in the Jotunheim just in time to watch Loki disappear into what could only have been the entrance into Laufey's catacombs.**** Thor knew from his lessons centuries ago that Laufey's halls were an endless labyrinth of old traps and monsters, rumored to extend down to the doors of Helheim itself; making it one of the most dangerous places in all the Nine Realms.

And Loki had just walked into it without a care in the world.

_"Loki!"_

For the life of him, Thor didn't understand his brother's obsession with doing everything alone. Ever since the Vael showed up, and especially after he'd been Cursed the first time, Loki just wasn't letting anyone close again, even when he obviously needed them. He lied constantly to anyone who dared try in order to cover up what he was really doing, but Thor can see right through all the lies now.

He could see _right through_ Loki.

And for some reason it _hurt_ , dammit.

Why couldn't he understand that?

What was his brother so scared of?

Thor was going to find out.

He had to.

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ****he hem of Thor's crimson cloak disappeared round another corner as Loki slowed down, using the wall for support as he tried to catch his breath before finally dissolving into a fit of dry coughs.** **

He'd been chasing Thor around in circles for what felt like hours, getting no closer to his goal than before-

In fact, it felt like he'd been getting _further_ from it!

Either he had to give up on finding what he actually came here for and keep trying to hunt down Thor, _or_ he had to leave the fool to his devices while he searched for it.

Of course, Loki didn't exactly like _either_ of those options.

He could also either find Thor first and then find what he was looking for before the Hunt did (or vice-verse), but the way Loki saw it, that could go only one of two ways:

He would find Thor and let the Hunt find the portal to Asgard.

Or, _even better_...

He would get Thor killed and the Hunt would _still_ somehow find it first.

 _"Dammit!"_ Loki swore softly under his breath, _"Thor, I'll flay you alive if the Hunt doesn't do it first!"_

And with that, the God of Mischief started running again.

****N._.s._.S** **

****W**** ** _ **e have company,**_** Lor'Vael announced, suddenly, looking up from the old, dusty book he'd been thumbing silently through for the past few moments, turning from the ancient script to face the other four members of his Hunt, _The wayward Soulless, to be exact._

 _I won't say I told you so,_ Kai'Vael spoke up from the other side of the room, _But I told you so!_

 _You just did, I think,_ Du'Vael responded from beside him, not looking up from a book of his own, sounding inexplicably amused, _But yes; we all knew he wouldn't be able to resist coming after us here._

 _Let me handle the Jotun!_ Xu'Vael demanded, leaping up from his place beside the door, clearly eager for a fight as he twirled his two axes excitedly back onto their harnesses, _I've got this!_

 _No._ Lor'Vael cut in, calmly, and the three pairs of eyes returned to him, _We follow the plan. Loki Laufeysson-Odinsson is not yet our target. Besides..._

The leader of the Black Hunt slammed the book he'd been looking at shut with a sharp snap.

_We have what we came for._

****N._.s._.S** **

****Thor**** ****finally caught up to him.** **

Just not in the way he expected.

_"Thor!"_

Never in living memory did Thor ever hear Loki cry out in such a terrified way.

Not even when they were children.

The God of Thunder took off, sprinting through the long hallways, jumping down fights of stairs and nearly crashing into walls as he turned corners in his haste. He could have ran right past the Black Hunt for all he cared now as he followed the echoing cry that resonated through the suddenly dead-silent halls.

Finally, he turned the last corner-

And stopped dead.

****N._.s._.S** **

****This**** ****wasn't funny, dammit.** **

Even if Thor couldn't stop smiling.

"Thor, _shut up_."

"What?" Thor protested with a grin, "I'm not the one who was nearly killed over a _projection_!"

Loki could have punched him.

"I'm trying to concentrate. I can't do that if you're _snickering_ over my shoulder."

"I'm not-"

Loki stomped on his foot.

_"Ow!"_

The God of Mischief had chosen to keep running after who he believed was Thor, but right around the next corner, he must have triggered some sort of trap, because the next thing he knew, flames shot from the cracks in the wall and forced Loki to dive to the ground- and a little too late at that.

He burned his shoulder on the way down.

When he looked up when the flames died, though, he saw something that numbed the pain instantly.

A burned corpse, turning to ashes, right before his very eyes.

_"Thor!"_

Never in conscious memory had he called out to someone like that.

And he figured that was what finally caught he _real_ Thor's attention.

The image of the corpse with the red cape was burned into his mind even now, as he carefully looked round the corner for any sign of movement and ignored the concerned hand clenched over his shoulder.

"It wasn't me."

"Don't you think I _know that_ by now?" Loki hissed back, shooting the God of Thunder an unappreciative glare, "Besides, it never would have happened if you just stayed put!"

"And let you have all the- _ow_!"

Loki stomped on his foot again.

A few minutes after the shout, Thor had dashed around the corner to find Loki leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the smoldering corpse in horror-stricken silence.

Thor brought him back to reality with simple shake of tense shoulders.

But when Loki saw Thor standing before him, he'd thought he'd officially lost his mind.

It took a long time to realize what had happened.

"You were scared."

It wasn't a question, and Loki cringed at it.

"Haven't I told you to shut up already?"

"Haven't I told you to stop _lying_?"

"I _haven't_ lied," Loki answered, smartly, "I didn't even answer your question, so I couldn't have."

"Loki-"

The God of Mischief shoots his brother such a withering glare that he finally quiets.

They move further down the hall silently, but Loki could feel Thor's eyes on his back. He could tell without even looking that the God of Thunder had finally stopped smiling.

Finally, as they turned another corner, Loki spoke.

"It's _not_ funny."

"I know." Thor answered, promptly.

"Then were you smiling?"

"I thought it would help."

"It didn't."

"I'm sorry."

"I thought that _thing_ was _you_ ," Loki continued, bitterly, turning to look at Thor at last, jade-green eyes flashing as he added, "I thought I watched you _burn to death._ How is that _funny_ to you, exactly?"

Thor looked away, and Loki turned away again, voice growing sharp when he spoke again.

"We're getting out of here."

For once, the God of Thunder did as he was told and followed suit.

****N._.s._.S** **


	4. Impasse II

**Chapter Four: Impasse II.**

**"Name one hero who was happy."**

**\- Madeline Miller.**

**It was actually pretty alarming how word of their (failed) escapade to the Jotunheim got around.** Odin and Axel Hernsson were already waiting for them right outside the gates of the palace; and while the All-Father (thankfully) didn't say a word as the two brothers passed, they could feel his disappointment.

Axel Hernsson actually shook his head at them.

_There is no room for heroes in war,_  He told Odin, sharply, bright maroon eyes narrowing as he watched Jane emerge from behind one of the pillars, embracing the God of Thunder as Loki walked straight past them with tense shoulders, rounding the first corner and disappearing from sight,  _Especially if there is competition in it._

Odin actually nodded once in clear agreement.

**N._.s._.S**

**"... a damn reckless, bull-headed move,"**  Loki stated, darkly, quietly, without looking at Thor as he spoke, his arms folding tersely across his chest, "I had everything under control."

"Liar," Thor accused, bitterly, matching his brother's dangerous tone with one of his own as he added, "If I hadn't been there, you'd have been  _killed_  over a projection."

_Projection?_  Axel Hernsson cut in, despite the evil looks he received from both the young Gods in return, maroon eyes flashing as he stared right back at them, clearly unfazed,  _What projection was this?_

"When Thor arrived, he followed one of my doubles into Laufey's hall. I went in after him, and the Black Hunt sent a projection of him to distract me. I fell for it, and it ended up leading me straight into a trap," Loki explained, shortly, before Thor had the chance, and as he continued, his hand crept unconsciously up his burned shoulder, "But that never would have happened if Thor hadn't been in the Jotunheim in the first place!"

"Nor you!" Thor snapped back, and Loki shot him a furious, though wry, look.

"I should have the right to investigate Laufey's halls whenever I see fit," The God of Mischief declared, darkly, "I'm the only one alive who can enter them without triggering the traps- like  _you_  did the moment you arrived, I might add!"

"You're not in any shape to-" Thor began, but Loki immediately cut in.

"Don't you  _dare_  tell me what I can and can't do, Thor," He told him, harshly, "You don't have the right."

"I do."

This time, it was Odin who spoke up, sitting up from his throne. From beside him, Sanat Eir's steely gray eyes narrowed at Hernsson, who immediately looked away, as if stung by the gaze alone.

Loki noticeably flinched at those words, but that didn't stop him from retorting.

"You said nothing of me not allowed to leave Asgard again," The God of Mischief pointed out, quietly, "As a matter of fact, shortly after Zak'Vael Cursed me, you  _recanted_ that punishment, along with the others."

"That may be," The All-Father answered, "But regardless, the Jotunheim was still forbidden-"

_"Don't give me that!"_

Loki had finally lost patience. He had lost whatever color had remained in his already too-pale face and his shoulders were actually shaking as he unfolded his arms and stared at his adoptive father with fierce, unwavering glowing jade-green eyes as he spoke again, this time not bothering to hide his anger.

"The Jotunheim was never forbidden- not since Laufey was killed, because we all know  _I'm the only Jotun left_ ," Loki snapped, his voice literally beginning to shake with fury as he continued, "But now that the Hunt's there, it's a problem. Now that they're finally making their move-  _the exact same move I told you they would make last year_ \- now you tell me that it's _forbidden_?"

Odin certainly hadn't expected that- it showed in how his azure eye had widened.

Eir's jaw was practically on the floor.

Hernsson was the only one who didn't look surprised in the slightest- in fact, he looked downright amused now, but he folded his arms across his chest, and narrowed his maroon eyes at Loki all the same.

_From what I remember, you were more surprised than anyone when I reported that the Hunt was in the Jotunheim,_  He said, quietly,  _Now you say you warned us?_

"I warned the one who could do something about it, yes," Loki answered, turning to Axel at last, "But it looks like not only am I dying, but also no one's listening to me-  _again_."

That seemed to snap Odin out of his shock.

"I told you that Heimdall would keep an eye on Laufey's hall when you came to me," He said, his voice leveled and cool, though Thor sensed some growing exasperation behind it, "But it looks like they slipped past-"

_"Like Malekith?"_

Thor actually saw his father's eyes flash in fury at that, but Loki went on without a hesitation.

"It's not enough that the Gatekeeper does his job. Not anymore," Loki went on, though his voice gentled a little, "We learned from Malekith that Heimdall can't see everything. The Vael getting past  _me_  is one thing; but getting past  _him_  is something else entirely."

"Then what does it mean?" Thor demanded of him.

"It means that we're  _not safe_ ," The God of Mischief answered, turning to look at Thor slowly, jade-green eyes flashing as he added, quite gravely, "That we'll  _never_  be safe, even if we manage to stop the Hunt. It means that our enemies can be  _anywhere_. That they can target  _anyone_. They can move  _without_  us knowing, and that they can and  _will_  strike while our backs are turned."

_That's... actually very accurate,_ Hernsson spoke up, after a moment of stricken silence,  _Now that we know they can elude the 'all-seeing' Gatekeeper, the Hunt could find a way into Asgard without detection._

"Just because Heimdall can't see them coming doesn't mean we can't fight back-"

"Oh _, right,_ " Loki snapped, darkly, "Because you did such a  _fantastic_  job today."

"We didn't fight today," Thor retorted, heatedly, "Besides,  _you_  ran off. What was I supposed to do?"

"How about  _trust_  me? You could have been  _killed._ "

"So could you!"

" _I'm_  going to be dead at the end of this no matter what, remember?"

"You  _don't_  know that!"

"I'm not going to stand here and explain-"

_Children!_

For some inexplicable reason, that got both Thor and Loki's attention, and they both backed off, still shooting each other infuriated looks.

_Arguing isn't going to solve anything,_ Axel Hernsson told them, sternly, as he uncrossed his arms,  _In fact, we'll be doing Lor'Vael and the rest of the Hunt a favor. Divide and conquer, remember?_

"That won't work if we've already done it ourselves."

Thor turned back to his brother, but found that he had already turned on his heels, heading for the door.

He was leaving again.

"Loki!"

The golden doors slammed shut.

And before anyone could stop him, Thor followed.

_Fools..._  Axel Hernsson shook his head, running a hand through his bangs as he turned to look at Odin,  _By this rate, your sons will destroy themselves before the Hunt gets the chance._

Odin didn't answer.

He didn't have to.

**N._.s._.S**

**Of course, Thor caught up to him.**

_"Loki!"_

Surprisingly, Loki stopped, hand still outstretched for the door to his room. However, as Thor approached, he lowers his arm back to his side, though he doesn't turn to look at him.

"You are a fool."

His words are slow and harsh, ground out between clenched teeth.

Unperturbed, Thor answered.

"I am," he said, quietly, "But I'm beginning to think that you are, too."

_"Me?"_  Loki's response was more incredulous than anything that time.

"Yes."

Loki slowly lowered his hand away from the door, and, for the first time in close to a year, he met his brother's eyes.

The God of Mischief's eyes were staring back at him, his gaze a perfect mask of impassiveness, but there was something behind them, a vacant distance that dulled the usually bright, beautiful jade to almost nothing.

"You don't get to play the hero this time, Thor," Loki deadpanned, his voice bitter and deadly serious, "If you want that, then head back to Midgard for all the good it'll do."

With that, a door slams shut for the umpteenth time, and with it, the realization.

_Tears_ were all that lit up his younger brother's eyes.

That and something else that the God of Thunder couldn't- and wouldn't- guess.

**N._.s._.S**

**It was necessary.**

_He had to do it._

_He had to say it._

_At least, that's what Loki would tell himself that night._

_For hours after he heard his brother's footsteps slowly walk away, sitting with his back up against the door, Loki would repeat that to himself, over and over again until his head ached and his mind could no longer argue._

_He argued a lot, but not only with himself, but with his other self._

_That angry, demented self._

_The last thing Loki wanted was for Thor to be hurt- or worse, and Loki justified himself with the fact that since he would die anyway, that he could do whatever it took to protect his brother, damn the consequences._

_Because of that, he could disregard the fear that he hid deep inside him; the fear that rose whenever he thought of what was happening to him, whenever he saw a new crack in his withering soul, or the pain in his father's and brother's eyes as he slowly broke and pushed away from them._

_He would carve out the rest of his life alone._

_Because that, he knew, was how it would end._

_It was how he'd started, after all, and how he remained to this day._

_Alone._

**N._.s._.S**


	5. To Run

**Chapter Five: To Run.**

" **I do know this, though- it's the things we run from that hurt us the most."**

**\- Brad Sturtevant.**

**Thor at least, had the gall to tell everyone he was leaving.**

Well, almost everyone.

"You don't have to go," Was the first thing Jane said to him when he told her. There was no surprise in her voice- only sadness, and a hint of anger, "Loki doesn't know anything."

"He _does_ know, Jane," Thor told her, seriously, "That's why I have to leave."

"He's _scared_ ," Jane countered, softly, "For _you_. If you leave, he'll _follow_."

"Then at least we know."

"He won't admit it! You know that!" She cried, "And the Hunt will come after you anyway!"

"I am not afraid of them."

And that was that.

Odin was similarly unsurprised, and while he did try to talk Thor out of leaving, it only took the All-Father a few stern questions in order to realize what his son was trying to do, and he backed off.

Eir rolled his steely gray eyes in an _'if you must'_ sort of way.

Axel doesn't even look at him.

At dawn, Thor left for Earth, with the eyes of Asgard on his back.

But what he didn't know- what he couldn't- was that the one man he didn't tell, already knew.

And wasn't about to stop him.

**N._.s._.S**

**His soul winked up at him through the jagged cracks as Loki quietly turned it over and over in his hands, his weary, jade-green eyes narrowing down at it in obvious, solemn concentration.**

_He hadn't slept at all the night before._

_He'd been too keyed up from his argument with Thor-_

_And more specifically, what he'd said to him._

_The God of Mischief quietly brushed his finger over one of the larger cracks, brows cinching together in genuine concern as he saw that it had grown even deeper during the past fortnight, finally seeming to extend all the way into the center of the glass-like little sphere._

_By now, that didn't surprise him anymore._

_His time was running out._

_Loki quietly tossed the soul up into the air, catching it deftly as gravity pulled it right back down. He did this a few times, counting the seconds it took his soul to return to him._

One... Two...

One... Two...

One...

_Loki had just caught the little soul for the third time when he was surprised by a very bright light shooting upward into the bright blue, morning sky, shaking the very sky with the force of it. It took a moment, but the God of Mischief's jade-green eyes widened in surprise when he realized what was happening._

_Someone was using the Bifrost._

_And Loki didn't have to guess who it might be._

Go then, brother, _He thought with a half-amused chuckle as the light faded,_ Be the hero.

And see if I care.

**N._.s._.S**

**Loki stayed up in his room for as long as he deemed it appropriate.** He knew he'd be blamed for Thor's sudden departure (which he, of course, pretty much was). He spent the next few hours preparing himself both mentally and emotionally before heading down into the meeting-room.

 _You realize that the Hunt will go after_ him _now right?_ Axel demanded of him the moment he entered the room, his voice oddly angry as he added, _Or did you not even think of that?_

"I did, thank you very much," Loki answered, stiffly.

_And so?_

"And so _what_? When they attack, I will stop, regardless of who they're after."

 _You figured the Hunt would go after Thor if he left Asgard,_ Axel accused in disbelief, _And you let him go anyway? What kind of brother_ are _you?_

"Thor acted on his own, I had nothing to do with him leaving- at least not directly," Loki snapped, firing up at once at the personal jab, "How was I to know he'd run?"

 _"Run?"_ This time, Eir spoke up, incredulously, "Is that what you think he's doing? _Running away_?"

"That's exactly what I think he's doing," The God of Mischief answered, without even a moment's hesitation, "I think he's running away from something far too painful for him to face."

"And what's that?"

Odin had finally entered the conversation.

And he sounded almost angry.

Loki reached into his pocket and took out the jade-green, dimly-lit glass sphere, holding the badly cracked little thing up to his father.

"This," He said, and was relieved to see the anger behind his father's one azure eye instantly melt away into sudden understanding, " _This_ is what Thor refuses to see."

 _The Curse?_ Even Axel seemed to melt, _The inevitable?_

"Yes; the _inevitable_ ," Loki told them, "I told him the truth last year, and ever since then, he's been acting as though somehow, some way, it will not happen, just because he doesn't believe it will."

 _That's impossible,_ Axel said, slowly, _A Curse cannot be undone._

"I know that. Thor doesn't... or, more accurately," Loki added, quietly, "He refuses to."

He was being brutally honest now, and he knew it, and regretted it even, but it was obviously the only way for them to understand the gravity of this situation-

And of Thor's.

"What I want to know," Eir spoke up, drawing three pairs of eyes to him, "Is why you told him the truth."

Loki saw Odin's one good, bright azure eye flash to him.

 _Clearly he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart,_ Axel answered for Loki, folding his arms across his chest, _It would have been kinder of him to leave his brother in his ignorance._

"No," The God of Mischief spoke up again, "It would have been cruel."

The others returned their attention back to him.

"Not telling Thor would have given him hope, hope that everything would be okay in the end," Loki went on, choosing his words carefully as he added, "A false hope. What good would that do for him in the end, after the Curse runs its course, and I'm gone? It would have crushed him-"

_Giving the Hunt a chance at victory._

Loki meets his father's eyes for the first time as he answered, knowing he'd won.

"Exactly."

**N._.s._.S**

**"How could you?"**

Loki doesn't even turn from the books he's absentmindedly shelving to look at Jane as she walks into the room, slamming the door shut behind her in her anger.

 _This ought to be good,_ He thinks to himself as she stalks right up behind him, continuing to shelve the books despite the confrontation he knew was about to happen, _Great._

"He tried to help you and you make him leave?"

"I didn't make him do anything."

"That's a lie and you know it," She snapped back as he finally turned around, still carrying two or three books on one arm, jade-green eyes flashing a little as she added, "You knew he'd leave!"

"I didn't," Loki answered, half-honestly, "And it's not my fault if he can't handle the truth."

Jane didn't seem to have a retort to that, so the God of Mischief simply turned and shelved the other two books. As he did so, he saw a familiar, blue box sitting lopsided on top of the furthest shelf, and he pulled it down to realize that it was the box that once housed the silver, sapphire dagger Thor had once given him.

Loki felt in his pocket and pulled out the broken blade and the silver, sapphire-embedded hilt that he kept in his cloak pocket along with it's gleaming sheath. It had been broken by Ceil Zak'Vael after Jane had slashed his face with it when he attacked her, and until now, Loki had forgotten it had been there at all.

It had been a year since he'd laid eyes upon it.

Jane watched him slowly replace the blue velvet box back to its place as he dropped the sheath and the broken pieces of the blade back into his cloak pocket.

"You haven't repaired it?"

"No, for several reasons," Loki answered, his voice noticeably softer than before, "One; I didn't have time. And two... Thor is the only one I'll let repair it."

"Then why didn't you ask him?"

Loki didn't answer.

And after a long moment of silence, Jane left the room, shutting the door with a sharp, resounding snap.

**N._.s._.S**


	6. Mad to Hope

**Chapter Six: Mad to Hope.**

**"Hope. Hope is for fools."**

**\- Morgan Rhodes.**

**H** **ope is a truly fickle thing.**

_It likes to pop up in the most hopeless of situations, and disappear in the easiest. Worse, people have the annoying habit of taking it for granted- its meaning tossed around time and time again, defined as "the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events_ _will_ _turn out for the best: to give up hope," instead of the immortal, inexplicable power that it is._

_What they don't tell you, is that true hope burns like an all-consuming flame._

_That it weighs upon your heart, your very soul and forces you to act-_

_It is what gives you the courage to stand up._

_The resilience to keep moving forward, despite all the pain._

_And the strength to continue through to the end..._

_Even if those around you have already given up._

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he beach was pretty much deserted- perfect for Thor Odinsson to think about what to do next.** The sun was already sinking beneath the distant horizon as he walked silently along the shoreline, ignoring the suspicious, almost patronizing stares he got from the few beach patrons he met and passed.

Eventually, he came upon a rickety old pier that stretched out into the clear blue water and walked out on it, staring down at the translucent water below and the mist that wafted peacefully on top of it.

As he reached the end of the pier, he stared up into the sky, thinking about everything that had happened and what he had done, and wondered humorlessly if Loki had heard the news yet- and whether or not he would come after him when the time came.

 _Did you expect this, Loki?_ He wondered, _I hope you didn't._

**N._.s._.S**

**O** **ne warm, summer day, years ago, long before that fateful trip into the Jotunheim, and long before anything seemed to really matter at all, Thor decided to go out.**

_And he took Loki with him._

_Of course, Loki didn't exactly want to go in the first place- he'd been perfectly content sitting in the library with a cool drink and a book, but Thor had pestered him endlessly until the God of Mischief simply threw down his book in disgust and followed just to get him to shut up._

_Like they were won't to do, they went down to the Courtyard and, as Loki sat at the shores and played with the water, making the water twist upward, fish swimming within and all, Thor explored the very edges of the place, throwing rocks down into the deep abyss._

_For a long time, they were content in silence, until Thor went a little to close to the edge and lost his footing, tumbling down onto a small out-cliff about thirty feet below. When he landed, he heard a sickening crack and immediately felt a sharp, excruciating pain in his right wrist and arm._

"Loki!"

_His brother eventually heard his cries and rushed to find him, only managing to do so after Thor shouted nearly himself hoarse. He was sitting with his back against the wall, cradling his broken arm and wrist and biting his lip in a futile attempt to distract himself from the pain._

_For the next couple of hours, Loki tried everything within his power to try to get Thor back up alone. He tried to magic him up (that failed miserably because Thor was too heavy and his broken arm made it worse), tried to climb down himself (Thor wouldn't let him get stuck down there too), tried to pull him up using a long branch he hauled out (and that didn't work because of the broken arm)._

_Finally, after everything, he had to go get someone to help._

_For the time it took his brother to go between the Courtyard, find their father, and come back, was only about fifteen minutes, but to Thor, that time could not have been any longer._

_The throbbing pain in his arm had grown worse-_

_But he wasn't scared._

_For days afterward, he marveled that even though he was in pain, he never doubted his rescue for a second- he never doubted that Loki would come back with help, and when it finally did come, he wasn't surprised._

_It was a child's hope, a boy's confidence, of course, but it was the same feeling._

_The exact same._

**N._.s._.S**

**"Found** **him!"**

_Bruce Banner (AKA the Hulk) looked up from the file he was flipping through as Tony Stark (AKA Ironman), followed by a very harried-looking Pepper Potts, loudly and triumphantly entered the R & D Lab (nicknamed "Candy Land"), causing him to raise a single, dark brow._

"Found _who_?"

"Oh, nobody special- just the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning," _Stark answered with his usual, sarcastic humor and crooked smile,_ "You know, the guy S.H.I.E.L.D's been trying to hunt down for the past year? The hammer-throwing guy with the crazy adopted brother?"

"Very funny," Banner said with a small smirk, turning back to his file, "Where?"

"Got a hit on his spinning portal of doom on Staten."

"That's not far from here..." _At that, Banner flashed a quick look at Pepper, who folded her clipboard primly to her chest, her lips forming a tight line,_ "Who's going after him?"

"Just Fury and a few of his drones."

"After _Thor_?"

"Yep," _Stark confirmed, a little too cheerfully._

"He can't be serious. S.H.I.E.L.D can't take him on without help," _Banner pointed out, rather darkly,_ "Did Fury say anything about taking one of us along with?"

"Sure _didn't_."

_Stark was grinning by now._

_Banner swore quietly under his breath, knowing what was coming next._

"Want to go to the beach with me?"

_Pepper silently tightened her arms around her clipboard, unnoticed._

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **hor did not like being sneaked up on.** The only person who could ever get away with it was Loki, way back when they were children; and even then his brother usually walked away with a nick or two.

So, when he heard footsteps coming up slowly behind him, snapping him out of the old memories he'd immersed himself in, he was definitely not amused.

"Declare yourselves," He called out, warningly, without turning, smirking humorlessly when he heard the footsteps coming toward him falter slightly, "Or prepare for a fight."

" _Declare_ ourselves?" A familiar voice chortled, _"Seriously?"_

Thor slowly turned around.

Stark and Banner stood together a few meters away from him; Stark grinning broadly (like he'd just won something) and Banner, arms folded across his chest and a dark, heavy brow raised in half-amusement.

"Stark? Banner?" Thor looked between them, "How did you find me?"

"Your wormhole," Stark answered, simply, "But that's not important."

Banner's dark brown eyes (tinted permanently jade-green around the iris; the only outward indication of the Hulk), flashed to Stark and he shook his head- a barely visible motion that the other man didn't seem to notice.

"We need you to come back to Stark Tower with us."

**N._.s._.S**


	7. Reunions

****Chapter Seven: Reunions.** **

**" **Reunion reveals friendship potential that haven't yet been emerged in the past."  
\- Toba Beta.****

****The**** ****trip back to Stark Tower was pretty much silent, other than the short, brisk argument that Stark and Banner had over the hood of the car.** **

"Pull the hood up."

"What?" Stark demanded, "Why?"

"You know why," Banner answered, sharply, with a glance at Thor, "Do it."

"Fury's not going to-"

"I said do it."

And that was that.

Thor knew better than to say anything as Stark grumpily slammed down the hood without another word.

Banner sat in the passenger seat, Stark in the driver's, and Thor got into the back, behind Stark.

The city hadn't changed during the year that Thor had been gone, and he looked through the dark-tinted window, up at the bright, flashing lights of all the tall buildings and the people that rushed back and forth through the streets at every red light.

Thor had never understood the mortal's never-ending fascination with the bold lights, but they were, admittedly, quite entertaining to look at.

But Loki would have hated it.

Thor was absolutely sure of that.

All those lights, all that noise; it all surely drove his brother insane while he was here.

More than he already had been back then, anyway.

"S.H.I.E.L.D's going to be on our heels within an hour," Banner said, shortly, quietly, jerking Thor out of his thoughts and breaking the tense silence, "You know the first thing Fury's going to do is check the Tower."

"We got him first," Stark shrugged, "Besides, we all know he's not the one they-"

"It's not about that. You heard what he said as well as I did."

"And? It's not like Fury's going to arrest him."

Thor listened to the conversation with weary ears, preparing to summon Mjolnir at a moments notice. From the way his two friends were talking, it didn't sound like he was a friend of Fury (the Director of the S.H.I.E.L.D and the man who brought the Avengers together in the first place) at the moment.

"We don't know that for sure. S.H.I.E.L.D's got to act before this gets even worse."

"Worse?" Stark replied with a chuckle as the car slowed to a stop at a red light, "You seriously think this can get any worse? Fury should be handing out medals-"

Unable to keep silent anymore, Thor made a loud _"tch"_ -ing noise, startling his companions and bringing an abrupt to their conversation. Banner turned his head to look at him, dark heavy brows cinched together, clearly concerned about something.

"Sorry," He said, with a small grimace, "We'll tell you everything as soon as we get to the Tower."

Stark snorted.

****N._.s._.S** **

****"D**** ** **ammit,"**** Stark swore as they entered the underground garage beneath the tower. Instantly, Banner turned his attention to where Stark was looking, and Thor was surprised when the normally soft-spoken, and sometimes unnaturally patient, man swore too.

He followed their gazes.

Steve Rogers (AKA Captain America, or "Cap" in some circles), stood stiffly with Stark's assistant Pepper Potts (whom Thor had met only very briefly two years ago), his arms crossed rather tersely over his broad chest.

"That was quick," Stark said with a lopsided grin as he, Banner, and Thor climbed out of the car and Rogers approached, Pepper following at his heels, "What's up, Cap? Been a while."

"Fury's going to kill you," the soldier declared, stiffly, with a concerned glance at Thor.

"Oh, Fury's mad? Furious?"

"Are you crazy?" Rogers demanded, unfolding his arms in exasperation, "You can't just-"

"Jury's out," Stark interrupted, cheerfully, as he turned to Thor and Banner, "Come on."

With that, Stark pushed by Rogers and Pepper, heading for the elevator. When the three of them got in, he pressed something and the doors closed before either Rogers or Pepper could stop them.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Stark**** ** **Tower was the place that Loki had used to summon the** ** ****Chitauri** ** ****with the Tesseract; a fact that occurred to the God of Thunder a little late as the elevator doors opened.** **

Stark had converted the top floor of the tower, which served as his office, into a sort of lounge. The room was warm, comfortable, and dim, complete with the large, stairway-like balcony that Thor remembered briefly facing his brother on during the battle.

"Okay," Stark said, his voice oddly cheerful as he went behind the bar-area and ducked immediately out of sight, swinging opening a cupboard door, "First thing's first..."

Banner stayed near the door even after it locked, the deadbolt sliding into place with a sharp snap, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and his heavy, dark brows cinched together in obvious vexation.

Thor's eyes were drawn to a certain spot of the room as silence began to reign.

_I'll have that drink now._

That was pretty much the only thing Loki had said (or that they had let him say) after his defeat.

Stark had smirked.

"You were in Asgard for the past year, right?"

Banner's voice snapped Thor out of his thoughts, and the God of Thunder looked back up, shifting his gaze from the spot at last.

"I was."

"Except for the whole thing in London, right?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"The Dark Elf Malekith attacked," Thor answered, ignoring the rather suspicious undertone in Banner's voice, "After that, I returned to yet another battle."

As Thor was speaking, Banner cast a look to the bar, where they could hear the clink of glass on glass. Stark was putting glass after glass on the table, as though searching for something. Finally, though, just as Stark's head disappeared beneath the table once again, Banner cleared his throat- a startling guttural sound that caused the other man to jerk back up suddenly and smack into the underside of the table.

"Ow!"

"What are you doing?" Banner asked of him, as Stark slowly stood back up, scowling darkly and rubbing the back of his head.

"Engaging the backup alarms," Stark replied, with another dark look, "Hold on."

"What is this about?" Thor demanded, loudly, before Banner could respond, "Why ask me these things? Is S.H.I.E.L.D so concerned?"

"Not about _that_ , per-say..." Banner admitted, slowly, with another glance at Stark, who jumped over the bar table to join them, looking suddenly concerned, "It's something else-"

"Where's Loki?" Stark interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically serious, "Do you know where he is?"

"Loki," Thor repeated, startled by the sudden change in his friend, "Of course I know-"

"Is he locked up?"

"No, he's not."

At that, both Banner and Stark exchanged wry looks, and Thor felt a flash of inexplicable anger.

"What is this about?" He asked again, looking between them, "Is S.H.I.E.L.D after Loki?"

Sudden dread joined the anger at that last question. If S.H.I.E.L.D was still after Loki for his crimes on Midgard two years ago, it would actually mean that, despite everything, Thor would have to step aside- even bring Loki back to answer for them. He (rightly) couldn't demand that they drop the charges, even if Loki hadn't even been in control of his actions (as he was beginning to suspect).

But it would mean that Loki would probably succumb to the Curse in prison.

That he would, in essence, die a criminal.

Like last time.

Only this time, there would never be a chance for redemption.

"I assure you Loki was punished for his deeds here two years ago," The God of Thunder told them, forcing his voice steady and forcing away the grim thoughts, "I promise you, he hasn't-"

"This isn't about that," Stark interrupted, somewhat coldly, "S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't care about that right now."

"Then what is it?" Thor demanded, loosing patience at last, "What do you think my brother has done?"

"What we think he did?" Stark retorted, his voice rising in clear indignation, " _Think?_ "

Banner stepped between them at that moment- and it was a good thing that he did, for Thor was absolutely sure that the conversation may have turned to blows.

"That's enough," Banner said, sharply, looking over at Stark, "We need him on our side, remember?"

"Your side?" Thor cut in, "I am already on your side!"

Banner suddenly ran both hands through his dark, curly hair and backed off, causing the other two to stop their bickering instantly, and Stark to actually raise his hands in front of his chest in surrender.

"Okay, okay," He said, quickly, though grudgingly, "I'll tell him."

" _Show_ him." Was all Banner said.

Stark pulled out a little remote from his pocket and pressed something. Instantly, all the windows blackened, shoving out the light.

"JARVIS." He called out, suddenly.

_Yes._

"Give me File E-i-C."

_Extracting file from S.H.I.E.L.D hive now._

Blue lights began shooting out from all corners of the room, startling Thor and making him step backward. The lights aligned together to form a huge, holographic map of the world, some places riddled with red, and others completely flooded with it. Video also began coming up, showcasing empty streets and completely abandoned buildings.

"Fury sent me this personally," Stark began, "About a year ago..."

****N._.s._.S** **


	8. To Not Run

****Chapter Eight: To Not Run.** **

**" **His loyalty, so fierce and unwavering, makes my eyes water and heart ache."****

****\- Emily Giffin.** **

**"F** **ury sent me this, about a year ago,"** Stark began, his voice growing too serious for comfort as he gestured to the map in front of them, "At first, I just threw it out. But then the red began to get bigger and bigger, Fury came by to tell me what they all meant. You see all these red dots? All of those represent an attack that was carried out somewhere in the world within the past year. All the places where the red has taken over-?"

Stark turned to Thor, "- _Those_ represent the places that have been completely wiped out."

"Wiped out?" Thor repeated, blankly, "Destroyed, you mean?"

"No, not destroyed," Banner spoke up quietly from his corner, his arms pulled tightly over his chest, his brows heavy and cinched together, "Wiped out as in, _there's no one left_."

"Millions upon millions of people," Stark added, darkly, "Have vanished off the face of the planet. Entire cities- cities like Bangkok, Thailand; Beijing, China; Mumbai, India; Osaka, Japan; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- all of them are empty. Every single person living there is gone. Men, women, children- _everyone_."

"Where have they gone?" Thor asked, looking back up at the map, "What's doing it?"

"That's exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D's been trying to find out," Stark answered, "So far, there's nothing. There's no coherency, no pattern in any of these attacks- except in all of them, people disappear. _A lot_ of people."

"This attack is the single biggest in human history, and S.H.I.E.L.D grew pretty desperate early on," Banner chimed in, pointing to the videos posted alongside the file, "Fury knew that whoever was doing this was attacking the big places first. So, in January, he sent his two best agents, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov, into Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the site of the latest attack."

_Hawkeye and the Black Widow._

They were part of their team two years ago.

Thor saw Stark's face darken as the two names were mentioned.

"Rio de Janeiro was the 26th largest city in the world with about 6.3 million people living there- it was the 3rd largest city in South America," Banner continued, ignoring Stark's suddenly painfully bitter expression, "After it was attacked on December 30th of last year, Fury sent them in to try and piece together what had happened. But on January 2nd, they both went missing."

Stark's eyes flashed and he looked quickly away.

"This video they got, is the only evidence we've got of whoever is responsible."

"JARVIS," Stark snapped, when Banner shot him a look, "Play E-i-C: Hawk and Widow."

_Yes, sir._

**N._.s._.S**

**The footage is blurry at first, with something waving in and out- it took moment for Thor to realize that the camera was pointed downwards, and the shifting things are a pair of legs, running.**

_Running away._

"Keep running!" _Barton's voice shouted, his voice unnaturally loud and cleaving through the terrible, dead silence (save for the noisy, rushing footsteps and trembling of the camera),_ "Don't stop!"

_At that moment, the camera shifts, and they see a glance of Natasha's face as she throws it backward over her shoulder in a desperate attempt for it to get a glimpse of what's chasing them-_

_Barton is right beside her, his face pale and his dark eyes wide as he looks into the camera, before he suddenly dashes ahead. His pack of arrows usually on his back is gone, along with this bow- lost in the rush, perhaps, but the sharp-eyed man still occasionally reaches for them-_

_It's an instinctive gesture, unnoticed by the fleeing man._

_The camera shifts again, and this time, it finally reveals what they're running from._

_It's a gargantuan cloud of black smoke, rushing over everything, coming right toward them in what looks like a plumb of never-ending ash rushing over the earth after them._

"It's a cloud," _Natasha cries over her shoulder, her voice barely registering in the roaring of the smoke as it nears,_ "It sucks everything up in it's path! But-"

_The camera shifts suddenly and Barton comes back into view, his face practically shoved into the camera._

"It's not a cloud!" _He shouts,_ "There's something inside it! I repeat-there's something inside it!"

_Suddenly, Barton's face disappears, and there's a scuffle and a curse._

_Barton has tripped._

"Clint!"

_There's another sudden shift, and as the camera drops to the floor, Natasha is seen running back to help Barton even as the black fog of darkness converges around them._

_They're both enveloped in moments._

_The camera is consumed by darkness with a deafening._

_There's a piercing scream- and then nothing._

_Silence and blackness reign until the video ends._

**N._.s._.S**

**"It's been two months since that attack,"** Banner said as the video shut off, "Since then S.H.I.E.L.D's been trying to get a hit on the trackers Fury planted on them before they left. No luck."

"That's how we know that it's not a human group doing this," Stark said, "Fury's tracking devices work everywhere from underground to underwater, to space-"

"But not other worlds," Thor interrupted, knowingly, "Right?"

"Right," Both men answered in unison.

"You think Loki's responsible."

It's not a question- Thor knows its true.

Loki is the only enemy Humanity has faced from another world.

He is the obvious choice.

"We do," Banner said, quietly, as the bright blue digital file disappeared and the windows opened again with another flick of Stark's remote, which Stark pocketed, "He's the only one capable."

"My friends," Thor answered, his voice unreasonably soft, "Loki is not responsible for this."

"You don't know that," Stark instantly retorted.

"I do."

At that, Banner looked over at Stark, his arms crossing in an _'I told you so,'_ manner.

"Loki has been in Asgard all this time, at my side," Thor went on, ignoring the wary glares the two men exchanged at his words, "When Malekith attacked, Loki aided us in defeating him, and when another enemy attacked a few months later, he sacrificed all but his life in stopping them from destroying our home."

 _He_ did _sacrifice his life,_ A bitter voice in the back of his head stated, quietly, _He did._

"Besides," he added, quietly, "Loki is no longer well enough to travel between worlds as he once did. He could not have come to Midgard without anyone knowing."

A strange, nasty feeling came up in his chest as he thought about everything Stark and Banner had told him.

And it nearly made him sick when he realized something.

"But I know who could have."

That caught their full attention instantly.

"Who?" Stark demanded.

"They're called the Vael..."

**N._.s._.S**

**It took the better part of an hour to explain everything.** He told them everything from what the Vael were, what they looked like, to why they hated the Jotun (Loki), what they tried to do, the War they had very nearly started the year before- and, most importantly, what they were capable of.

"We need to tell Fury," Banner said, quietly, as Thor finished his story, "And we need the others."

Stark just nodded stiffly and pulled out his cell.

**N._.s._.S**


	9. Bad Are Good I

**Chapter Nine: Bad are Good I.**

**"I learned that bad guys are not always bad..."**

**\- Sherrilyn Kenyon.**

**He was ill again, this time worse than before.**

_It started just an hour or two after Thor left for Midgard._

_First the pain... and then, the fever._

_The wound that Algrim had dealt him a year ago had also reopened during the night, forcing Loki to return to Eir for help when he could not stop the terrible bleeding alone._

_Of course, the Medic alerted Odin despite Loki's wishes._

_But the God of Mischief's anger was soon lost as the illness began to take its toll._

_He simply didn't have the strength for it._

_For hours, he hovered between consciousnesses, wavering constantly in and out-_

_Completely unaware of the world around him._

**N._.s._.S**

**"Are you sure it's the Vael?"**

Fury's question is sharp, rapid-fire, and Thor nods promptly, automatically-

Without hesitation.

"I am."

It had taken Cap only a few minutes to get up to where they waited- he'd clearly been waiting downstairs with Pepper when Stark called him- but it had taken several long, tense hours for Fury to reach them, coming in person from somewhere no one could saynwith certainty.

Fury's dark eye stared him down for a good few minutes before shifting to each of the others in turn (Stark, Banner, and Rogers), before returning his gaze to the God of Thunder.

"How do we stop them?"

"Water," Thor told him, seriously, "The Vael are incredibly weak against-"

"We're _surrounded_ by water!" Stark snapped, interrupting him, "This planet is literally 71% water!"

"They have to actually _touch_ the water," Thor countered, calmly.

"That doesn't explain how they can move all around the world in hours, nor how they can cause millions of people to disappear without a trace," Banner spoke up, "It doesn't make sense."

"Does it _ever_?" Cap retorted, with a twitch of a smile.

Stark actually snorted.

"Listen," Thor continued, before Stark could speak again, "The Vael are powerful enemies. They are near impossible to take down- even in small numbers. While our warriors are some of the greatest in the Nine Realms, it took only seven to near bring Asgard to its knees."

"Seven?" Even Fury looked skeptical now, "Just _seven_?"

"Last year, the Vael King betrayed his people, bringing with him his son, a Space Dragon, and, later, the Black Hunt," Thor told them, folding his arms, "Together we stopped the son, and Loki destroyed the Dragon and I the King, but the Hunt escaped- we've been searching for them ever since, almost a year now."

"What does this Black Hunt _want?_ " Fury asked.

"We don't know," Thor admitted, "We thought they would return to Asgard to finish what their King started. We were wrong- they came here, to Midgard, instead."

 _Loki was looking in the wrong places,_ Thor realized as he spoke, _He was wrong!_

_We were all wrong._

"You don't _know_?" Cap demanded, "They attacked us for _no reason,_ then?"

"It would seem so."

_I have to warn them._

"What now, then?" Banner asked with a glance at Fury, "What's the plan?"

"We're going to-"

"I need to return to Asgard before anything," Thor cut in, not flinching as Fury shot him a menacing glare for interrupting him, "There's something I need to do."

The whole group exchanges looks.

Thor can see apprehension in them all.

"I will return," he promised them, "I will not be gone more than a night."

**N._.s._.S**

**"He is not strong enough this time."**

_Sanat Eir's voice is graver than it had ever been, and it resonated oddly throughout the silent Med Wing as he stands to meet Odin and Axel Hernsson as they enter._

As to be expected. The Curse cannot be outlasted forever, and he indeed fought it well, but... _Axel shook his head and looked past the Head Medic, at the curtained bedside,_ This suffering is always inevitable in the end.

"Is there nothing?" _The All-Father answered, quietly._

Aside from putting him out of his misery? _The Honored King replied, almost regretfully,_ No.

"I can't imagine any living creature wishing such a horrific thing like this upon another," _Eir burst out, suddenly, startling his two companions with the unprecedented, raw anger in his voice,_ "Not even during the Thrice War would a man think to be so cruel."

You must remember that Remus Zak'Vael's hatred ran deep, and his father's even deeper, _Axel answered, bitterly,_ Those two spent centuries trapped within a world burned black with hatred. That alone is certainly enough to create a Curse even a God could not have dared cast upon his people.

_After that, silence reigned for a long time._

**N._.s._.S**

**Thor returned suddenly, without warning- even Heimdall, who opened the Bifrost for him the instant he heard his call, hadn't expected him- and let him through with narrowed, suspicious golden eyes.**

The God of Thunder moved quickly, purposefully, his strides long and serious as he marched through the city of gold toward the palace gates.

Jane was the first to spot him through the tower balcony, and she ran down to meet him.

But his embrace was tense.

"I need to speak with Loki," he told her, seriously, "Where is he?"

Her honey-colored eyes widen a little in alarm.

"He's in the Med Wing," she tells him, "But-"

Thor was already moving again, and she ran after him.

Axel Hernsson was the second person he met, just outside the room, nestled quietly in a corner with a book, but he rose when he saw Thor.

 _What the hell are you doing here?_ The Honored King demanded instantly, maroon eyes wide with true shock as they looked between Thor and Jane, _You cannot enter!_

"Why not?" Thor demanded, "What has happened to my brother?"

"That was what I was trying to tell you," Jane cut in, before the Honored King could say anything else, "Please listen."

Thor turned to her at last, and Axel pushed past him, disappearing beyond the quickly-closed doors of the Medical Wing.

"A little while after you left," She began, hesitatingly, "Loki got sick again. Like last time, but worse-"

Thor felt his heart plummet.

_"What?"_

"He's okay," Jane stopped him from turning back to the door by grabbing his hand, "But he's unconscious. They spent all night trying to stop the bleeding and the fever."

 _He's dying,_ Her eyes seemed to add, silently, _His time is running out._

"I need to see him."

"They won't let you," Jane answered, instantly.

"They will," Thor retorted, grimly.

**N._.s._.S**

**Thor was right.**

It was amazing what a little threat could do.

His brother lay, still and silent, in bed, covered to the shoulders by heavy blankets. His face is paler than it had been just two days before, when Thor had last seen him, and the strange, black marks had grown deeper, darker, and longer, now covering his entire face- and probably most of his body.

His eyes are just barely open.

They're glassed over and dark- as though he wasn't really there at all, and tearful- as if he could no longer stop the unimaginable pain from consuming him completely.

There is no recognition, no resurgence, in them at all as Thor sits beside him.

Behind him, beyond the white curtains that surrounded his brother, he could hear the voices of Eir (who had only let Thor in after he, quite honestly, threatened to kill him), and Axel. He knew Jane was out there, too, but she had been strangely quiet and hadn't followed him in.

 _He should not be here._ Axel snapped, quietly _.  
_

"I know that damn well."

_Should we do something?_

"Odin shall deal with him," Eir grumbled, "For now, let them be."

Thor ignored them, and eventually, their voices faded as he turned his concentration to Loki alone.

"You must keep fighting this," Thor found himself saying into a silent world, a world where nothing beyond the white curtains mattered, if only just for a few moments, "You must fight, brother."

Loki's glassy eyes fluttered a little.

"This isn't over," The God of Thunder told him, almost pleadingly, "The Hunt have taken Midgard."

_"How... possible...?"_

Loki's voice was just barely above a murmur- and a weak one at that. His lips didn't really move, either- it was clearly a miracle he could even manage to speak in this state. Thor watched as Loki drew a hand from underneath his blankets to clench the blankets over his chest- directly over where his old wound was.

 _"No..."_ The God of Mischief breathed, turning his head to look over at Thor as he spoke, his eyes loosing that glassy, teary look in favor of a truly pained one, _"Not possible."_

"It is possible, Loki," Thor said, hating himself for the pain he knew his words were causing his brother, "They're there, and they've taken billions of mortals already."

His brother's eyes closed and he shook his head again.

_"No."_

"Brother, please," Thor pleaded, gently, "I need to know how to stop them."

Loki's eyes were glazing over again.

_"No, no..."_

Tears were slowly forming in his brother's suddenly too-bright eyes, and his eyes closed, as if he thought that could stop them from flowing over.

It didn't.

Thor could only watch as his brother finally broke, right before his eyes.

**N._.s._.S**


	10. Bad Are Good II

****Chapter Ten: Bad Are Good II.** **

**" **I learned that bad guys are not always bad..."****

****\- Sherrilyn Kenyon.** **

****L**** ** **oki felt like screaming.**** He felt like raging; stamping his feet, screaming until he couldn't scream anymore- until his throat bled from it and his voice gave out. He felt like standing somewhere open, with the world, if not all the Nine Realms staring him down, and screaming at them all.

But instead, he stood, trapped, within a world of infinite darkness and silence-

Trapped within his own collapsing, dying mind.

A product of the pain and fever he knew were wrecking havoc on his body at that very moment.

… But he could still hear a voice beyond the blackness.

He had always heard them, of course, ever since the beginning.

He could hear Odin's, on the rare instances he was conscious at the same time his father came by.

He could hear Eir's, Axel's, even Jane's voices in the background when he paid attention.

But one stood out from those; one who spoke louder, stronger, than them-

One voice that could shatter the glass that kept reality at bay.

His brother's voice wasn't like the others.

The God of Mischief slowly ran his fingers through his hair, his thin, dark brows cinching together as he strained to hear what that powerful voice was saying. It was so close- just beyond the veil of glass and blackness, but Loki could not reach it, could not respond to it, no matter how much he wanted to.

 _You must keep fighting this,_ The voice said, muffled through the glass surrounding Loki's damaged mind, just barely getting through, _You must fight, brother._

Loki smirked and shook his head.

_This isn't over._

There is a small tremor in the glass, and Loki knew he'd reacted subconsciously to those words, though he had no way of knowing how- it could have been anything, really.

A smile, a laugh, even.

Maybe even just a cry.

Or just a blink.

He didn't exactly have a lot of control here.

_The Hunt have taken Midgard._

"That isn't possible," Loki answered, as if Thor could hear him from within his own mind, his voice annoyed and defiant, even, "That isn't..."

The Hunt had no reason Loki knew of to invade Midgard.

He hadn't even considered that place as an option of any kind for them.

Midgard was covered in water- water was the Vael's weakness.

Just like the Jotunheim-

But hadn't they entered that place, as well?

The one place Loki had thought truly safe?

"No," Loki has no idea how many times he'd said that word- he hadn't even been aware he'd been speaking until he heard his own voice, "No way. That's not possible."

 _It is possible, Loki,_ Thor's voice said, _They're there, and they've taken many mortals already._

The glass above him cracked, and Loki could now see something sitting directly above it- something glowing bright gold, like a light at the end of a long, desolate tunnel made of the ultimate darkness...

Loki raised his hand toward it, ignoring the tears gathering in his eyes.

_Brother, please._

The blackness around him began to shatter- and with it, the glass ceiling caved in as well, bringing down the golden light with it, falling as if in slow-motion toward him, unbidden by the sharp glass bursting in air around it, shattered to dust by its very presence.

_I need to know how to stop them._

Loki reached up with both arms to catch the golden light.

He isn't aware of the tears that flow freely down his face.

Because everything suddenly went white.

****N._.s._.S** **

****"All**** ****of you have given up."** **

_It's not a statement as much as it is an accusation._

_The only person to look irritated at it was Axel Hernsson- he folded his arms over his chest and shook his head, his bright, maroon eyes flashing._

_Odin and Eir didn't say a word._

_Jane's gaze shifted between the four of them._

What would you have us do? _Axel finally asked, a hint of challenge in his normally calm voice,_ You have been told countless times before, the Curse cannot be reversed. There's nothing more-

"So we just let him die, then?" _Thor interrupted, darkly,_ "Is that it?"

What would you have us do? _This time, the Honored King sighed in defeat, unfolding his arms and nervously running a hand through his long, dark bangs,_ If there was anything to be done, we would all have sacrificed anything to do it by now. But that's not how this works. The Curse will run its course regardless.

"I won't give up on him," _Thor told them, quietly,_ "I haven't."

_This time, Odin spoke up._

"There's something else, isn't there, my son?"

_Thor folds his arms and stares at the closed doors of the Med Wing, which he'd exited to find the four of them (Eir, Odin, Axel, and Jane) waiting for him._

"The Black Hunt have invaded Midgard."

_Jane's eyes widened in surprise- and horror._

_Eir, Odin, and Axel exchanged startled glances._

Impossible, _Axel said, slowly,_ The Hunt have no reason to invade such a place.

"They have, and they have been abducting mortals."

"For what purpose?" _Eir demanded, instantly._

"We don't know."

_For the first time, Axel Hernsson looked afraid._

"Abducting mortals," _Odin said, thoughtfully, turning to Axel,_ "What sort of things can they accomplish?"

Aside from taking and killing them for the fun of it, you mean? _Axel replied, darkly,_ I can't say. Mortal souls are far more breakable than Asgardian and Jotun- if they were extracting the souls, they'd have to have billions, if not trillions, of them in order to cast a decent Curse at all.

"Curse?"

Sure, _Axel answered with a shrug,_ In order to cast a Curse at all, you either give part of your own, or take another- that is how Remus Zak'Vael Cursed Loki. He took Loki's soul and poisoned it in order to Curse it- that is, essentially, what a Curse is- a poison.

"Then the more souls you sacrifice, the stronger a Curse is?" _Jane asked._

Exactly.

"What sort of Curse could they cast?"

_All Curses are the same. The only thing that varies is the strength of it and the pain it causes._

"What would it take to Curse an entire world?"

_Thor had spoken, his voice thoughtful, and Axel looked over at him, his maroon eyes narrowing a little with the question._

In order to do such a thing, one would have to essentially harvest an entire nation, if not more if he were dealing with such breakable souls like Human's.

"That's what they're doing," _Thor declared,_ "They sacrificing Midgard to take Asgard."

_Odin's one good eye narrowed._

"How do we stop it?" _He asked, turning to Axel again._

If they have not yet cast the Curse, then the souls can still be saved- all that needs to be done... _Axel's voice turned grave,_ Is to defeat the castors in order to stop it from happening.

"Then that's what we will do," _Thor declared, already starting toward the stairs._

Odinsson!

_Thor looked back over his shoulder to find Axel right behind him._

Take heed, _the Honored King warned, though gently,_ A Human soul can only last so long without shattering- and even then, continuous leave from its host body will result in irreparable damage.

You will loose people.

_Thor only nodded and continues down to the Bifrost, Jane following quickly along at his side.  
_

****N._.s._.S** **

****"I** ** ****want to come with you."** ** _Jane declared as they reached Heimdall._

"You know I can't allow that."

"But-"

"Midgard is far too dangerous for you now, Jane," _Thor told her, firmly but gently, taking her hand,_ "You would only be taken by the Hunt or killed in the crossfire of the battle."

"I don't care!" _She burst out,_ "I want to help!"

"And you will," _He promised, kindly, cupping her face,_ "You will stay here and ensure Loki is safe. And when he wakes, you will be the one to tell him where I have gone and what has happened."

_Her eyes grew bright and Thor embraced her._

"I will return," _He added,_ "As I have always done."

"Give or take a couple years," _She answered with a watery chuckle._

"This time is different," _He promised,_ "I will return as soon as I can."

_He kissed her then._

_And so, eventually, Jane Foster found the strength to let him go again, and watched as the God of Thunder disappeared in a burst of golden light- a light brighter than even the one he had first arrived with, four years ago, in a tiny town in New Mexico, come to change her life forever._

****N._.s._.S** **

****Loki**** ****stood alone, surrounded by light.** **

He'd been here before, of course.

In his hands, he held the bright, golden light he had caught when the glass had shattered, and now looked down at it for the first time, turning it in his hands.

It looked and felt exactly like his own, except that the green glass had shattered- while he realized, with a sharp jab of surprise (and dismay) that the jagged scars remained, cutting through the gold light with black and gray, that shifted through with slow, steady beats-

Like it was _infected._

"The shell broke," He said, aloud, startling himself with the fear in his own voice, "It broke."

_Did that mean he had died, gave in to the pain?_

_Was his body lying in the Med Wing right now?_

_Had they discovered him yet?_

Loki clenched the soul with both hands and stared into it, watching it pulse black and gray, like the beat of a heart, as though it was somehow alive.

"You haven't lost yet."

Loki knew that voice, too.

He turned and smiled a little as Frigga emerged from the light.

"Back again," She said, with a small smile.

"Again," Loki answered with a short nod, holding up the golden soul, "This isn't mine, is it?"

"Why would you think not?"

"It's color has changed."

"And so?" His mother replied, with an amused smile this time, "Why can it not change?"

Loki doesn't have an for that.

****N._.s._.S** **


	11. No More Sorries I

**Chapter Eleven: No More Sorries I.**

**"It's always too late for sorries- but I appreciate the sentiment."**

**\- Neil Gaiman.**

**The silence between Loki Odinsson and his mother was not uncomfortable- in fact, it was quite the opposite.** _Frigga had been the only one he'd truly trusted by the time Malekith came along; something that he was absolutely sure she knew by the end, despite never being given the chance to tell her that himself.  
_

_Frigga had been the only one to defend him at the first trial, to understand what he did and why.  
_

Please, don't make thinks worse.

Define worse.

_\- And even tried to help him._

_Though Loki had hated her for it.  
_

_Almost._

So I am not your mother?

You are not.

_Oh, he regretted those words more than anything._

_They turned out to be the last thing he'd ever say to her alive._

"Can you see him?" _Loki found himself asking, in order to escape the memory,_ "Can you see Thor?"

"Of course," _Frigga answered,_ "He won't give up on you."

"I never doubted he did for a moment."

"And yet you forced him to Earth in despair."

"I didn't do that on purpose," _Loki retorted, quietly,_ "Besides, it turned out to be one of his better ideas, didn't it?"

"It did."

"Now that we know where the Vael are, it will be easier to destroy them," _Loki continued with a smirk, despite the look it earned him from his mother,_ "I'll be able to-"

"You're not in any condition to fight."

"Tch," _The God of Mischief grumbled,_ "I am not dead yet."

"But you're not alive, either," _Frigga pointed out,_ "You are between worlds again."

"Always between, never one or the other," _Loki sighed, bitterly,_ "Always on the fence..."

"Not always. Loki-"

"Thor has returned to Midgard."

_Loki said it so suddenly that Frigga wondered how her son could possibly have known that at that exact moment, the God of Thunder had really just done so._

"Yes."

"Challenging the Hunt again despite common sense, are we, Thor?" _Loki murmured with another smirk,_ "Fool."

_Frigga let him move a few steps ahead of her, tossing up the little golden soul up into the air, almost thoughtfully, silently mulling over his options in his head.  
_

_The following silence went on and on, broken only by the quiet rustling of air as Loki kept tossing up the little golden soul into the air, deftly catching it as it fell quickly back toward him as gravity pulled it down, his tired, jade-green eyes flashing every so often as time wore on, as though each idea gave him some small measure of strength-  
_

_And confidence._

_Finally, though, after what seemed like hours, Loki, as if he'd suddenly thought of something, caught the soul again and then turned back to his mother._

"You said this place was between words," _He said, quietly,_ "How do you move on?"

"You are judged," _Frigga answered, automatically,_ "You 'move on' to the place they put you."

"I see..." _Loki stared down at the little soul,_ "But I am not here to be judged, am I?"

"No, you're not," _She told him, slowly,_ "You cannot be judged, because your soul has been broken."

_Oddly enough, the God of Mischief smiled and shook his head._

"I expected as much."

"Loki..."

"Send me back," _He interrupted, though gently,_ "That is within your power, is it not?"

"Yes. It is."

"Then, by all means," _Loki said, outstretching his arms,_ "Send me back."

"What would you do?"

_Loki smiled, and held out the golden soul to her._

"Stop the Hunt," _he said, with a smile,_ "And save my brother. Before it breaks for real."

_Frigga's bright azure eyes glistened, and she slowly bowed her head._

"So be it."

**N._.s._.S**

**Loki's eyes fluttered and slowly opened, and he slowly sat up after a few, long moments of stunned blinking, bringing up his hand to shield his eyes from the burning rays of the sun that pierced cleanly through the white linen curtains that protected his bed from prying eyes.**

His body ached terribly as he moved, throwing the heavy blankets off, but he steadfastly, bravely ignored it as he stood up, using the bedside table as support as he tested the strength of his sore body- weak from the fever and pain that had tormented it for the past few days.

He wasn't strong; but it would do.

Loki had always known that he'd never be at his full strength again anyway.

It simply came with the Curse.

But, for some reason, that didn't bother him as much as did a year ago.

He found a large, steaming basin of lukewarm water beside the Medic's (surprisingly) empty chair, along with a few clean rags and bandages- it looked like Eir had been preparing to clean the wound in the God of Mischief's chest; but had been called away for another task at the last second.

Much to Loki's luck.

After washing his hands and face, Loki easily cleaned and rebound the wound.

He found that now, without the fever and all that blood to back it, the pain had mostly gone away, fading into the same dull aches he felt in the rest of his body.

He found his shirt, cloak, gloves, and scarf draped over another chair.

Just as he finished putting on the shirt, he heard the door creak open.

Loki braced himself when the footsteps faltered.

"You're awake."

_Jane?_

Loki turned to find Thor's wife standing near the door, her arms folded and her chin tucked low, her honey-colored eyes gazing brightly across the room at him.

Tears stained her pale face.

"I take it Thor has already left," He said, simply, "Back to Midgard, yes?"

She nodded.

It was a testament to the woman's inner strength that her voice did not quiver as she spoke.

"He wanted me to tell you."

"No need," Loki answered, kindly, turning back to the hanger, "I already know."

"He went alone." She added, softly.

"That's why I'm going after him."

Jane didn't answer and watched as he threw his cloak over his shoulders and pulled on his gloves.

"Have you seen my spear?" He asked her, "I'll need it later."

He didn't have to tell her what he'd need it for.

She just shook her head, and Loki sighed in weary, half-annoyance.

"Odin probably put it in the Vault..."

**N._.s._.S**

**"Are you allowed to be in here?"** Jane asked, rather dubiously, as Loki opened the great doors of the Vault, letting her go in front of him before he slipped into the room himself.

"Probably not," Loki admitted, quietly, "But I need my weapon."

Jane stuttered her stunned disbelief as Loki passed her without another word.

_Once, mankind accepted a simple truth: that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds man believed home to their Gods. Others they knew to fear. From around the cold and darkness came the Frost Giants, threatening to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age..._

Thus was the story Odin had told and retold to them as children, among others- Loki had almost forgotten about it, and how it would cement the future, but now, he realized, the story had always been incomplete, to dull the true blow of horrible truth that surrounded it.

_But humanity would not face this threat alone. Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world. The cost was great. In the end, their king fell, and the source of their power was taken from them. With the last great war ended, we withdrew from the other worlds and returned home at the Realm Eternal, Asgard..._

As it turned out, it Ceil Zak'Vael had started the Thrice War- and after the Vaelhiem's centuries-long banishment; Laufey had started another war with Asgard in retaliation for the wounds that the Vaelheim had dealt his people.

Of course, he'd lost.

And Loki had been found.

_And here we remain as the beacon of hope, shining out across the stars. And though we have fallen into man's myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe..._

Loki spotted his spear leaning against the wall that used to hold the Destroyer, which once guarded the Casket and- unbeknownst to the God of Mischief until later- the Tesseract.

The spear had been placed in here by the All-Father himself after Loki returned after failing to conquer Midgard, and hadn't been touched since.

He thought, belatedly, that the weapon would have worked quite well against Remus and Ceil Zak'Vael.

Pushing the thought away with a roll of suddenly bright, jade-green eyes, God of Mischief took back his weapon, his father's words from centuries ago echoing through the silent room.

_… But the day will come, when one of you will have to defend that peace._

**N._.s._.S**


	12. The Storm Brews

**Chapter Twelve: The Storm Brews.**

**"Storms are not afraid of you. All you must do is not be afraid of them, either!"**   
**\- Mehmet Murat-Ildan.**

**Thor returned at the break of nightfall; and none too soon.**

He nodded a greeting to Cap, who politely returned the gesture before he turned back to the large, bright azure screen that he and the rest of the team were all watching intently.

"What is this?" Thor asked as he came up behind Banner.

"We're tracking the dark clouds via satellite," He answered, looking over his shoulder at the God of Thunder while pointing at the dark masses currently flooding across the Atlantic, "From here, we can track it without ever getting too close. Right now, though, it looks like it's coming straight for us."

"Perhaps it wants a fight," Stark spoke up, rather hopefully, from behind another screen, "Thor, what are the chances that the Black Hunt are coming after us?"

"They shouldn't know anyone is intent on fighting them."

 _That_ certainly lightened the mood in the room.

Stark and Cap traded knowing grimaces.

"Perfect."

**N._.s._.S**

**"What if they try to stop you?"**

"They won't."

"How do you know?" _Jane persisted as she struggled to keep up as they passed through the gates leading away from the palace,_ "They can't just let you go."

"Why not?" _Loki replied, somewhat impatiently,_ "There's nothing they can do to stop me. Without Odin's decrees over my head, without those direct orders against me, Heimdall is not justified in keeping me here- I am free to come and go as I please. If he tried to stop me, it would be against the ancient laws."

"Your father-"

"Abides by the laws of his predecessors, if nothing else."

"He can change them."

"It wouldn't work. We've broken those very laws before, haven't we? I'd just have to do it again."

"Wouldn't that be committing treason again?"

"The punishment for treason is almost certainly death," _Loki retorted, with some amusement,_ "And putting a dying man to death sort of defeats the whole point of the punishment, doesn't it?"

"He could just put you back into a cell."

_At that one, Loki just smiled._

"And I could always escape."

**N._.s._.S**

**"Water, huh?"** Stark was muttering, from underneath the bar table again, "I'll give them _water..._ "

He continued his dark musing, interrupting himself occasionally to shout an order to JARVIS, completely ignoring Banner, who stood over him, watching in vigilant, keen interest, arms folded over his chest.

Cap and Thor stood out on the balcony, watching as the black clouds began to appear like smoke over the distant horizon, quietly trading information, back and forth.

"A year, right?" Cap asked, quietly.

"Aye."

The soldier whistled. "And I thought we had it rough back here."

"You have," Thor assured him, kindly, "If I had known the Black Hunt had come here, I would have returned sooner. Perhaps then we may not have lost our friends. But Loki was just so _sure_..."

"Loki fought with you?"

"Indeed, he did. In fact, without him, Asgard may have fallen."

That silenced the soldier for a long moment.

Thor knew that Cap, more so than anyone else on the team, had the uncanny ability to put the pieces together, and could very well have already guessed what the God of Thunder had failed to tell the others during their initial meeting.

That there was a fair chance that Loki, in order to help Thor fight the Vael, would return to Midgard.

"If Loki shows up, Fury _will_ have him arrested."

Thor doesn't answer.

"I won't pretend to know your relationship with him," Cap continues, quietly, shifting his gaze from Thor to Stark and Banner, "But you have to understand, Thor. To us, to this team, to S.H.I.E.L.D and the rest of the world, your brother is as dangerous as the Vael; no matter his intentions. He is a criminal. And it's our job to stop people like him."

Thor forced himself to swallow back a sharp retort.

"I know," He said instead, despite the hard, angry lump growing in his chest at his own words, "And should the day come that he should turn again, I'll be the first he faces."

Cap looked back at him then, and Thor saw what looked like understanding, if not pity, in his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said at last, quite sincerely, "I know what it's like to be forced to fight someone you once loved."

Thor doesn't answer, and Cap turns and goes back inside, finally leaving Thor to his thoughts.

In the distant horizon, the blackness enlarged, like a storm of clouds, promising a storm.

**N._.s._.S**

**Could Thor really stand by and let them arrest Loki, even if it meant that his brother, after all he'd suffered, would probably die a criminal's death in prison?**

Thor knew that there was a good chance that Loki would show up even before Cap mentioned it. His brother would return if only to help Thor, despite the fact that he was dying, ill, and in pain, and knew that Loki would probably let S.H.I.E.L.D arrest him, if only to spite them all.

That was just the kind of person Loki was.

Of course, Thor could try explaining Loki's actions to the others. He could tell them that Loki was no longer their enemy- and that they never truly were in the first place. He could describe his acts of heroism; such as his facing Ceil Zak'Vael and his son, destroying the Space Dragon, all while facing unimaginable pain.

He could tell them about his brother's crumbling soul.

But it just wasn't his place.

Thor wasn't stupid.

He knew telling his friends what Loki had done- and was doing- would be not only betraying his brother's trust, but would expose him in ways that he knew Loki would never forgive him for.

But he was desperate.

He wouldn't allow Loki to be put back into a cell.

For one, there was always the chance that, despite all the changes in him since two years ago, Loki would escape (and probably kill the ones who got in his way).

Secondly, Loki just didn't deserve it.

Yes; what he had done was truly heinous. It was wrong, and Thor acknowledged that.

But after all that he had done now? All that he had sacrificed?

No; Thor couldn't- and wouldn't- believe that.

He couldn't let them hurt Loki now; and would side with his brother if give no other choice.

Even if it meant creating a third side to this already escalating war.

And so, with a heavy heart and his mind made up, the God of Thunder returns to his friends.

**N._.s._.S**

**The black clouds currently rushing toward New York are like dust rather than mist; for it is dry, not at all like the mists that cover cities all over the world early in the morning.**

_The clouds are also not completely black._

_Colors of every sort, from red to purple and all in between, and different hues and shades besides, flashed in the blackness, piercing through it like blades of light._

_In the center of all this are four beings, their bodies hidden in the darkness and none of them illuminated even in the brightest of the colored flashes, except for their eyes._

This is far too easy, _Declared Xu'Vael, impatiently,_ Where is the challenge promised to us?

Patience, _Lor'Vael answered, and from within clenched fists, he revealed to little souls._

_One was purple, the other deep red._

Your world is crashing down, _He told them, quite kindly,_ And yet your proclaimed 'heroes' are nowhere near.

_The purple soul lit up almost instantly, as if in anger at Lor'Vael's words._

Ah, ah, ah, _Lor'Vael chuckled as he tossed the red one at Kai'Vael, who deftly caught it with one hand,_ You're still certainly a fighter, even without your body, my dear little archer...

... But I am afraid that you are still so truly helpless.

_And so, the darkness rolls on over the ocean; the black dust, the captive souls, and the Black Hunt all._

**N._.s._.S**


	13. No More Sorries II

****Chapter Thirteen: No More Sorries II.** **

**" **It's always too late for sorries- but I appreciate the sentiment."****

****\- Neil Gaiman.** **

****Loki**** ****bids Jane goodbye as they reach the Bifrost.** **

Sort of.

"Away with you, then," He said with a smirk as she shoots him a dark look, "I must cross the Bridge alone."

"They're waiting for you."

At that, Loki looks over his shoulder, and sees that the mortal was right- he could see Odin standing next to Heimdall, and Axel Hernsson on the Gatekeeper's other side.

"So they are," the God of Mischief affirmed, without missing a beat, "You're right."

"What will you say?"

"There is nothing I _can_ say that will lessen the blow of what I am about to do," Loki answered, turning back to look at the woman as he added, quite kindly, "That is why you are not coming with me. This is a matter that must be settled between me and them."

"But what if-?"

" _What if_?" Loki interrupted as he slipped a hand into his pocket and drawing out the golden soul, "I do not deal in _what if's_. I hate _what if's_. There is no _if_ , Jane, only _when._ Remember that."

Jane doesn't answer as Loki moves ahead, continuing on without her.

"Farewell."

****N._.s._.S** **

****"S**** ** **o you're here,"**** Heimdall speaks first, breaking the instantly tense silence that follows as Loki enters the Bifrost, armed with his golden spear, "Where would you go?"

"Midgard," Loki answered, not missing a beat as he kept his eyes embattled in the Gatekeeper's in order to avoid the shrewd, azure gaze of his adoptive fathers, "I go to Midgard."

Heimdall's eyes flash to Odin's, whose eyes meet Loki's at last.

Then, incredibly, after a short battle of wills between jade-green and azure, the All-Father finally shifts his gaze and nodded once; granting the Gatekeeper permission to do as the God of Mischief bid.

As Loki passed them, Axel Hernsson finally spoke up.

_You are fools._

The Honored King refused to look at any of them when they turned to him, instead keeping his eyes on the golden walls around them.

_You and your brother both are._

With that, the King turned on his heels and, his white cloak billowing furiously behind him, left.

Loki could only smile.

"Loki."

The God of Mischief looks over his shoulder at Odin when he spoke, smile fading a little.

"I'm not coming back," Loki warns him, quietly, "Even if I do somehow make it out alive."

"I know."

"And I'm not sorry, either," He adds, slowly, seriously, "It's too late for that."

"No," The All-Father answered, cautiously, "It's never too late."

Loki looked back toward the portal.

"No more sorries," He said, raising his voice as he looked back at Odin a few moments later, his jade-green eyes lighting up in what could only have been anger, "Not this time. We don't get to be sorry."

With that, he turned and, with Heimdall's nod, entered the portal.

There was a flash of bright white light, and then Loki Odinsson was gone once again.

****N._.s._.S** **

****When**** ****Axel Hernsson saw the flash of light light up the sky, he immediately looked up, up into the brilliant splashes of sapphire blue and white surrounding the afternoon sun, and closed his suddenly too-bright, maroon eyes, silently clasping his dark hands over his chest, uttering a soft prayer that none but the sea and wind could hear.** **

****Hurry hither, defiant soul.** **

****Hurry hither, forlorn heart-** **

****Hurry!** **

****Your time is running out-** **

****Hurry hither!** **

****Your journey is almost over...** **

**The Honored King slowly unclasped his hands and let them fall limply back to his sides as he opened his eyes again and looked back toward the Bifrost, where he could see Odin standing, alone, at the entrance.**

Tears finally, slowly flowed over Axel's black face, like a river of stars over a sky of absolute darkness, as he mourned for the young, lost soul that would forever wander lost within a place so far from his true home.

Mourning the soul that no one could have saved.

****... But may you stand, victorious, at the end.** **

_No one could have saved him,_ He informs Odin, shortly, as the All-Father approached him, a few minutes later, silently bushing his anguished tears away, _But I daresay you knew that long ago.  
_

It's not a question.

But Odin doesn't acknowledge it in any way at all as he passed by.

His face is set in both grief and anger.

Axel watched Odin leave, and then slowly returned his bright-eyed gaze to the sky, running a long-fingered, black hand through his bangs, brushing them back as his maroon eyes suddenly lit up again.

 _There is but one way to break a Curse, after all,_ He mused, with a glance at the All-Father's retreating form, _And I can't help but wonder if you have already figured it out, O God of Lies..._

If he had a mouth, Axel Hernsson would have been smiling.

Or perhaps he already was.

_I wonder if you are really as much of a fool as you would want us all to believe._

****N._.s._.S** **


	14. For You I

****Chapter Fourteen: For You I.** **

****"I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you."** **

****\- Julia Hoban.** **

**Thor** **had been watching the sky closely since he'd returned- and not just for the blackness that slowly deadened the distant horizon, but for any sign for the portal that Loki would surely use to return to Midgard.**

There was no doubt in the God of Thunder's mind that his brother would come.

As he stayed out in the balcony late into the night, his friends came out to check on him, one at a time, every hour or two. The first one to come out was Cap; who offered only a small smile and that same, pitying look as last time- as though he'd already managed to piece together who Thor was really waiting for.

Stark had come out to offer him a drink and a couple laughs.

But Banner was the only one who actually talked with him about the coming battle.

"I guess throwing the Hulk at them wouldn't be the smartest idea in the world then, right?"

The question was simple enough, but Thor could sense the disappointment behind Banner's dark brown eyes, which were ringed with a jade-green that resembled Loki's far too closely, and behind his soft, patient voice.

"Nay, my friend," Thor answered, "The Vael are able to use their opponent's anger against them. Battling them in that state would only hasten the Curse they've placed over this world."

A few hours after his return from Asgard, Thor had let them in on the Vael's true plan and the Curse they had put over the Earth. It wasn't exactly easy to explain, as only Banner seemed to catch on to the magic that was deeply entangled in it, and it had taken a lot of effort to explain it all to Cap and Stark without starting an argument.

 _Of all the things we get to deal with,_ Thor had heard Stark saying to Banner later in a dark grumble, _It's always magic- something science hasn't figured out yet. S.H.I.E.L.D should've hired Houdini when they had the chance..._

 _Houdini's been dead since the 1920's,_ Cap had informed them, rather smartly, turning from his Comm line with Fury, _Way before S.H.I.E.L.D was even founded. That was in the '60s._

 _You would know,_ Stark had brilliantly retorted, causing Cap to shoot him an unappreciative glower before returning to his conversation with Fury over the Comm, _That was_ before _you were iced, right?_

Wisely, Cap just shook his head and ignored that last comment.

"I'm not staying behind." Banner warned, crossing his arms over his chest, the jade-green rings in his eyes flashing dangerously as Banner stood up again.

"And nor shall you," Thor promised, kindly, "This battle is as much yours as it is mine."

 _And Loki's,_ he added, silently, as Banner agreed and the green disappeared as quickly as it had come, _It's Loki's more than anyone's._

"Cap says Loki might show up," Banner said, suddenly, offhandedly, after a long moment of silence, and Thor's grip on the balcony fence tightened as he immediately turned back to his friend.

Banner is learning over the side of the balcony again, staring down at the eerily empty, almost dead-silent streets below. His face is still unnaturally calm and thoughtful, and his dark eyes shift to Thor's bright azure ones and he smiles, the green rings around the brown retreating fully as they stare at each other.

"When did he say this?" Thor asked, slowly, looking back up into the sky, away from Banner again, "I never said Loki was-"

"You didn't say he _wasn't_ , either," Banner interrupted with a chuckle, "Cap's too smart for anyone to lie to."

"I didn't lie."

"I imagine you didn't intend to."

Thor couldn't think of a retort to that, and shook his head in defeat.

"He might come," He admitted, finally, "I'm sure he will."

"Do you know why?" Banner answered, calmly, completely unsurprised by Thor's admission, as though, like Cap, he had pieced together the entire story just by looking at him, "He is- was- our enemy once."

"The Vael are his enemies as much as they are ours," Thor declared, surprising himself with the sharp impatience in his voice, "When they attacked Asgard the first time, their Prince's orders were to murder Loki."

Banner's eyes flicker in surprise.

"Why?"

"He isn't an Asgardian by blood," Thor explained, quietly, his voice trailing, "He's..."

" _Adopted_ , right?"

"Aye. Adopted."

"Why does that matter to the Vael?"

"The Vael and the Jotun- my brother's original kind- were mortal enemies thousands of years ago, and now, Loki is the last of them. When Ceil Zak'Vael realized that, he attempted to kill him, as did the Black Hunt."

"Just for being a Jotun?"

"Aye."

"What kind of _genocidal maniacs_ are we dealing with?" Banner demanded after a long moment, his voice growing surprisingly angry as he added, quite seriously, "Are you telling me that Ceil Zak'Vael tried to kill him just because he was part of a race that he didn't like?"

"It's a little more complicated than that..."

As he told the story of the Thrice War, Ceil Zak'Vael's attempt to destroy the Jotunheim at the whim of his Councilmen, of Laufey's retaliation against Asgard for the damage, and the outcome of the following wars, it attracted the others, one by one, out onto the balcony. Stark, with a glass in hand, and Cap, his arms folded over his chest and brows knitted together as he told the tale.

When he finished, Stark whistled.

"Wow," Was all the normally talkative man had to say.

"Looks like Humans aren't the only ones capable of horrific acts like genocide," Cap said, dryly, with a glance at Thor as he added, "What happened to the Jotunheim after? How were they destroyed?"

"Loki ended up finishing what Zak'Vael started," Thor admitted, "He destroyed his own kind in attempt to rid himself of the pain of finding out what he was."

"Reasonable," Banner spoke up, much to everyone's surprise, "If there were no Jotun left to say he was one of them, he could still tell himself that he was an Asgardian."

"He _is_ an Asgardian," Thor declared, quietly, "My brother was never anything _but_ an Asgardian. That was what Ceil Zak'Vael- and even Loki- never understood. It's _who_ you are that really matters, not _what_."

Banner nodded, and Thor knew without a doubt that he understood that better than anyone.

 _Who,_ not _what._

That was what mattered most.

Or what _should_ have.

**N._.s._.S**

**In a flash of devastatingly white-hot light and the sickening feeling of flying and then falling, it was with a heavy thud and a lengthy curse that Loki Odinsson landed in the disturbingly quiet city of Boston, New York, at precisely 2 o' clock in the morning and almost 200 miles away from where he was supposed to be.**

_The God of Mischief smiled faintly as he looked up into the starry, cloud-free sky._

_He took a long, deep breath, and let his smile grow as his tense shoulders relaxed._

I'm not coming back.

_Loki was free of Asgard, of Odin, and, eventually, of everything else._

_And this time, he knew it would be forever._

Even if I do somehow make it out alive.

I know.

_The All-Father had taken his departure even better than Loki had expected. It didn't surprise him in the slightest, of course (considering Odin certainly didn't have a choice in the matter), but he was relieved that the very brief conversation hadn't turned into an argument- or worse, to blows._

_Loki would have fought for this-_

_Fought to not only come to Midgard, but also for his freedom to do so._

_And he knew Odin knew that._

_He had to have known._

And I'm not sorry, either. It's too late for that.

_Loki was through being sorry- and, worse, sick of having people say that to him._

_"I'm sorry," was an insult to the God of Mischief now- the worst insult._

It's too late for that.

It's never too late.

_Loki's smile turned into a dark grimace as he stared up into the black, starry sky, where he could quite clearly see something small and dark flying in an endless circle, a couple hundred feet directly above him._

_It was Odin's crow, he knew, come to watch his wayward son again.  
_

"I see you," _He murmured,_ "I should be offended that you keep your eye on me even now."

_Loki quietly slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling for his golden soul. He clenched it in his hand and glared up at the crow, certain that the All-Father could see him clearly even so far above._

"I'm not sorry!" _He declared, loudly, defiantly, holding up the soul, as though before the entirety of the Nine Realms and not just to his father's pet,_ "See! See here the soul you have taken part in poisoning!"

_He heard the crow caw down at him, almost in indignation._

"I am Loki! Neither of Asgard or Jotunheim!" _He shouted up at the bird, despite the furious cawing in response,_ "And today, I forge my own path, now and forevermore free of the wills of those who tried to take this from me!"

_The bird's cawing ceased, and Loki saw a flash of light, no brighter than any of the other stars, as the great, black crow disappeared, heading back from whence it came, no doubt to bear Loki's final message to Odin._

_Satisfied the God of Mischief smirked again, stowing the soul safely back into his pocket._

_With a snap of the fingers of his free hand, Loki disappeared once more._

_This time, truly free._

**N._.s._.S**

**After a long sleepless night, the black clouds converged upon the city as dawn approached.**

Even at the insistence of his friends that he sleep, Thor stayed awake as, one by one, they fell asleep- Stark at the bar, head resting in his arms and a blanket over his shoulder; Cap somehow standing up, arms folded rather tensely across his arms as he leaned against the closest corner to the balcony where the God of Thunder stood, and, last of all, Banner; who was stretched out comfortably the couch nearest the door, staring quietly up at the ceiling, half-asleep already and perfectly tranquil.

Thor admired how they each tried to stay up with him.

And, most of all, he appreciated it.

But, as he stared up into the slowly lightening sky, he knew it was for the best.

No matter how strong his friends were, no matter how armored, they were still mortal most of all- and Thor knew they would need all their strength if they expected to survive this coming battle.

 _Mortal,_ he mused, with a look at each of them in turn, _Seems to be_ what _they are._

 _But heroes,_ who _they are._

But even mortal heroes are still mortal at the end of the day.

**N._.s._.S**


	15. For You II

**Chapter Fifteen: For You II.**

**"I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you."**

**\- Julia Hoban.**

**Banner finally drifted off late in the night, leaving Thor as the only member of the team still awake going into the wee hours of the morning.** He still stood out on the balcony as he had during most of the night, hardly ever moving (except to check on his friends every so often), leaning over on the support fence, staring over the long-since abandoned city, over the flat tops of the empty, dark buildings, toward the totally blackened sea and horizon off in the distance.

The darkness was coming, slowly but surely.

And with it, the Black Hunt.

Thor quietly straightened back up and stretched as the sun peaked through the dark clouds starting to gather above the edge of the city for the first time. After staring up at it for a long moment, shielding his bright, azure eyes from the glare, the God of Thunder turned and headed back into the tower; closing the door behind him with a sharp snap.

As Thor approached him, Stark stirred a little, and the blanket that covered his shoulders fell to the ground as the scientist straightened up in his seat and swore as his back gave a nasty-sounding crack as he moved.

"Damn," He said, when he turned and saw Thor, still stretching, "Fell asleep, huh?"

"You were the first one down, my friend," Thor answered with a small smile and a quick nod at the others- at Cap, who was still asleep in the corner, back propped against the wall, shield leaning up right beside him; and Banner, curled up on the couch, his arm crooked behind his head, "But now you are the first to rise."

Stark took one look at Banner and threw the blanket over him.

"Did you sleep?" He asked as he went behind the bar and disengaged the silent alarm with a key he had in his jeans pocket before starting up the coffee maker with a wave of a small remote, "Like, at all?"

"No."

"You should," He warned, quite seriously, "You might be a God, but even you're not completely indestructible."

"I am not a God," Thor answered, as Stark turned to take several white, ceramic mugs off the shelf above his head, "I merely live a few thousand years longer than mortals do."

"And the whole hammer-and-magic show?" Stark asked, holding up the steaming pot, "You want some?"

Thor glowered at him as Stark poured the coffee.

"Here," Stark handed the God of Thunder the first mug he'd poured, "How long were we out?"

"You and the Captain slept through the night soundly," Thor told him after taking a sip of the hot drink, "Banner has only slept for a few hours. Fell asleep near dawn."

"He'll be out for a while," Stark replied, shortly, "But Cap will probably be up pretty-"

"Stark!" Cap called warily from his corner, raising his hand when they turned toward him, "I'm up!"

"Perfect," Stark finished without missing a beat as Thor chuckled and Cap slowly got to his feet, using the wall he'd been laying against as support, "Come have some coffee then."

**N._.s._.S**

**"Why haven't they attacked yet, Thor?"**

The three of them sat around the bar over the half-full pot of coffee between them. Thor had been watching the gathering clouds that had begun to converge over the edge of the city, while Cap and Stark conversed quietly between themselves. He hadn't really been paying attention to their conversation until Stark addressed him.

"I do not know," Thor answered, "Perhaps something has hindered them."

"Something or some _one_?" Cap replied with a glance at Stark as he spoke.

Stark scowled darkly over his coffee, but didn't say a word.

"No. If it was a duel, then we would surely have heard something by now."

"Maybe they're waiting for us."

Banner had joined them now, rising slowly from the couch he'd been resting on and running a weary hand through his dark, unruly hair as his friends turned toward him.

"Why would they do that?" Cap asked, raising a single brow.

"It's a challenge," Banner answered, simply, "They want _us_ to come to _them_."

At that, Stark and Cap exchanged stricken looks.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Stark asked at last, after a long moment of silence, "Let's go."

Cap glanced at each one of them in turn, his gaze lingering on Thor for a moment longer than the others, his dark blue eyes flashing, oddly knowingly, as he spoke up again.

"Suit up."

**N._.s._.S**

**Banner was right.**

It took the team only fifteen minutes to suit up and, at Cap's order, head to the piers. The darkness had finally fully converged over the city, covering the tops of buildings with black fog. They avoided going into the fog itself, though while flying past, Thor could have sworn he'd seen a thin, dark figure running through it, following the group's pace as they headed for the shore.

Banner and Cap had specially-designed vehicle that moved at the same speed (or at least close to it), as Thor and Stark could fly, so that they could stay together and not have to worry about anyone falling behind.

It wasn't until they actually reached the pier (the same pier that Stark and Banner had found Thor), that they realized just how right Banner had been.

Lor'Vael, the leader of the Black Hunt- and the one Thor had faced while Loki fought Ceil Zak'Vael on the Bifrost a year ago- stood quietly with his hands folded calmly behind his back. As Stark and Thor landed, and as Banner and Cap got out of their vehicle, Lor'Vael simply blinked, his colorless eyes as emotionless as his black, blank face.

His long, black hair had been pulled up into a tight ponytail, with thick tresses hanging down in heavy tendrils over his broad shoulders. He wore a white sash that hung limply off one shoulder and wrapped tightly around his waist. Attached to his back was his scythe- a double bladed one that glinted garishly in the half, dim light of the sun that peaked shyly over his shoulder in the rising dawn.

Over his head, he wore a silver necklace with a sapphire hanging down his forehead- a crown Thor almost instantly recognized as the one Ceil Zak'Vael had abandoned shortly before committing suicide.

Lor'Vael's head titled slightly to the side and he blinked again as the team slowly closed in on him.

 _My regards,_ He said, quite politely, to Thor, clearly ignoring the others, _To you and your brother both._

Thor doesn't answer- instead, he summons Mjolnir.

"You're the leader here?" Cap spoke up, "You're the one who cast the Curse?"

 _Know about that already, do you?_ Lor'Vael turns his attention to the Captain, and his eyes flash in clear amusement, but still; his blank, black face doesn't twitch, or give away a single emotion, _You Humans are such tenacious little creatures... it's certainly a pity you must all be eradicated._

The wind picks up just then, and Lor'Vael turns his head out toward the blackened sea and sky, ignoring the waves that crash up against the pier and the mist that sprays overhead.

 _A little bird told me that you would be here to stop us,_ He said, turning back to them after the wind and the rising tide dies down a little, _I suspect you might know him, and his red-haired darling?_

"What have you done to them?" Stark demanded, speaking up at last, stepping forward threateningly, despite Cap's attempted to grab his shoulder to stop him.

 _It's not what_ I've _done to them, not really,_ Lor'Vael answered, staring at Stark as though his reaction intrigued him, _I merely cast the Curse. I set it upon none- my words were a guiding breath, nothing more._

He turned his gaze to Thor before Stark had a chance to think of a response.

 _How fares your dear brother, Odinsson? Has the Curse yet run its course?_ The Vael's words seemed to resonate in hisses through the suddenly empty air as he spoke, like a snake's, _Has it yet driven him mad? Brought him to his knees, left him writhing on the ground, bled him whiter than the ice his Jotun blood so dearly loves?_

Thor grips Mjolnir's hilt harder, but doesn't answer, letting the metal sink almost painfully into his skin.

There are footsteps behind Thor, and he turns to find that another Vael, this one with abnormally large, dark brown eyes, black hair pulled back into hundreds of individual long braids framing his long, thin black face, and a long blade sheathed to his back, emerged from the fog that had, without the group noticing, fully surrounded them.

In his long-fingered hand, he held two small, glowing spheres.

One was purple, the other red.

Behind Kai'Vael, two other Vael emerged from the fog, their weapons already unsheathed and ready.

The black-eyed Vael, Xu'Vael, carried two silver axes.

The pink-eyed Vael, Du'Vael, carried two, three-meter long spears.

 _You see, we are the harbingers of Asgard's doom, with all the powers of darkness to back us,_ Lor'Vael said, his voice cutting through the thick black fog as the group shifted together, back to back, as the three Vael that had come up behind them began to circle them, like vultures eying their prey, _Even you cannot hope to stop us._

"We can try," Stark pointed out, as Cap slowly unhooked his shield from his back.

Lor'Vael's eyes flashed.

 _Let's see how far_ trying _gets you, shall we?_

**N._.s._.S**

**Loki knew confronting them directly wouldn't be the smartest idea.** _After all, though he was absolutely certain they wouldn't attack him right off the bat- if only thanks to Thor's presence- he was sure that his appearance would be most appreciated only if the Avengers actually needed him._

_He wasn't stupid- he was once these mortals' greatest enemy._

_Loki had been the reason this team had formed in the first place, and he knew none of them would take kindly to seeing him, even if he'd only come to help._

_So, he simply fell back, watching and following their movements._

_He followed them as close to the pier as he could without being spotted- though once or twice he could have sworn that Thor had seen him- when that would no longer give him a useful vantage point to watch their looming first confrontation with Lor'Vael and the rest of the Hunt, Loki simply dropped from the fog-covered rooftops and into a thin alleyway, where he could peek out and watch, safely hidden, by the gathering mist that easily threatened to overtake the small group of heroes._

_Loki was glad to see that the Avengers had chosen not to unveil the Hulk- the strange, brutish creature that lived within Bruce Banner, and knew Thor must have told them about the Curse the Hunt had placed over Midgard, Loki realized with a small, satisfied smirk as he watched Banner through the window of the vehicle he and the Captain Rogers had used to keep up with Tony Stark and Thor's flight._

_Not surprising, really._

_Thor had always been smarter than Loki- or certainly anyone else- gave him credit for._

_And so, he watched, poised and ready to intervene when they needed him._

_When Thor needed him._

_As it turned out, he didn't have to wait too long._

**N._.s._.S**

**Even though it was the four Avengers versus the four members of the Black Hunt, it was evident that, despite all Stark's buster, that they really didn't stand a chance.**

Thor had taken Lor'Vael; starting the battle with a mighty whirl of Mjolnir that summoned a wave of powerful thunder from the blackened sky, shaking the ground beneath their feet, while Stark took Kai'Vael; attempting to make a grab for the two little souls the Vael held captive. Cap got Xu'Vael; and the shield and the two silver axes colliding with such a blow that it cracked and shook the earth and sea in a clash that rivaled that of the damage that had been caused after Thor tried to use Mjolnir on the shield three years back.

Finally, Banner got Du'Vael and, of course, being unable to transform into the Hulk, was forced to rely on pretty much speed alone as he moved between the spears.

He wouldn't be able to do that for long, but unfortunately, Kai'Vael and Xu'Vael were content on barring Stark and Cap as they tried time and time again to reach him.

 _You won't be able to stop the Curse- Curses are inevitable, Odinsson!_ Lor'Vael declared, as he landed safely away from the onslaught of thunder, not seeming to notice- or care- as the water rushed up around them in violent tides, rushing over the edge of the pier and narrowly missing the Vael's feet, _But I daresay you know this!_

Before Thor can retort, he heard a sudden scraping noise behind him, and he turned.

_"Banner!"_

Time seemed to slow down as everyone turned to see what was happening.

Banner had finally lost his footing while trying to avoid the spears that Du'Vael kept thrusting at him, sending him falling into the checkered sand in a cloud of dust, with the spears still coming.

Everything froze for a split second just as Cap slammed the side of his shield into Xu'Vael, managing to knock him to the ground and make a mad dash for Banner just as Stark managed to blast Kai'Vael back, making a dive for the two little souls still held captive in the stunned Vael's long-fingered hand.

Cap wouldn't make it, even as fast as he was.

"Banner!" Stark shouted again, this time with more anguish, as another plumb of sand rose up from the scuffle, _"Banner!"_

Thor remained where he was, and a few steps in front of him, Lor'Vael hadn't moved, either.

His head was tilted to the side, as though he was interested in what would happen next, as though the prospect of Banner's death was something even he hadn't planned on, but was more than willing to see the outcome of.

But even his eyes widened in shock as the dust settled.

Banner was still on the ground, covered in sand and stunned, but Du'Vael had somehow managed _not_ to pierce him.

Because there was someone in his way-

Someone with jade-green eyes and a wide, crooked smile.

**N._.s._.S**


	16. Enemy of My Enemy

****Chapter Sixteen: Enemy of My Enemy.** **

****"The enemy of my enemy... is my friend."** **

****\- Anonymous.** **

****L** **oki Odinsson was all that stood between Bruce Banner and (the maybe slightly psychopathic) Du'Vael and his pair of silver spears that had, quite literally, just missed the scientist by inches.**** He had both the silver spearheads clenched point-first in his hand, blood already starting to drip silently into the soft sand at his feet; that wide, crooked-looking grin never faltering once even as Du'Vael jerked the spearheads roughly out of the God of Mischief's hands, creating a short shower of crimson as the blood came away with it.

"Surprise," Was all Loki said as Du'Vael backed off a few steps, twirling the two silver spears, splashing droplets of Loki's blood on the ground between them.

 _So the Soulless lives,_ Lor'Vael spoke up, quietly, before anyone else could say anything, _But for how long?_

"Longer than you think," Loki answered, turning his head to glance at Banner, "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Banner answered, cautiously, as he stood shakily back up to his feet.

"Good."

Lor'Vael's clear eyes don't flicker even once as he steps past Thor, slowly drawing out the double-bladed scythe and twirling it once in a grand movement that sent sand flying and Thor backing away, Mjolnir already swinging and sparking in warning, ready to be used.

_You are a fool to have come here._

"As are you."

Instead of retorting, Lor'Vael turned from Loki to look back up at the sky, his bright, colorless eyes flashing a little as the black clouds of the Curse suddenly began to retreat backward, followed closely by real clouds, these black too, and clearly heavy; promising a storm yet to come, before turning back to Loki again.

 _Tell me, Odinsson-Laufeysson,_ He finally said, _What so moves you to challenge your Curse?_

Loki doesn't answer, but his smile noticeably twitched at the question.

 _I can't help but wonder..._ Lor'Vael's bright clear eyes turned to Thor, and his eyes flashed again, and he gripped the scythe noticeably tighter as he added, _Is your renewed will to live just because of him?_

Thor's eyes flashed in a wounded way Loki certainly did not like.

But the hurt quickly gave way to anger, and his grip on Mjolnir tightened again.

Stark and Rogers exchange knowing glances.

Behind him, Loki heard Banner moving to stand beside him, his dark eyes flickering dangerously between brown and bright, jade-green, all as he kept his hands folded politely behind his back.

The God of Mischief glances at him, but quickly returns his gaze to Lor'Vael.

 _Regardless of whether you fight for yourself or for what you hold dear now,_ Lor'Vael continued, after looking between his five adversaries, his gaze lingering on Loki the longest, _You will die, Curse or not, even if I should have to pierce your soul myself._

"We'll see," Loki's voice was defiant and still maddeningly cheerful, as though Lor'Vael's threat meant little to him, "We _Soulless_ are sort of hard to kill, if you haven't noticed."

Lor'Vael's eyes flashed again, this time dangerously, to Thor.

 _I promised you a reckoning when last we met,_ He reminded him, quietly, shifting his gaze between the God of Thunder and his brother, _Be prepared for it._

With that, Lor'Vael turned his eyes upon the three members of his Hunt, all of whom, oddly enough, had sheathed their weapons and backed away from the various members of the Avengers- and even Du'Vael, while his unnaturally bright, pink eyes never left Loki, had backed away from him, replacing his long, silver spears back into their holsters strapped tightly to his back.

 _To the rest of you,_ Lor'Vael looked to Rogers and Stark this time, _To this team of so-called mightiest... let's just see how mighty you are as your world crumbles beneath you._

Rogers' hands balled into offended fists.

Stark's dark eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth-

But before he could retort properly, the blackness converged on them all, with a single order echoing through the darkness, cloud and clear; as if it had shouted into all ears simultaneously.

_Black Hunt! Retreat!_

****N._.s._.S** **

****W**** ** **hen the darkness finally dissipated**** **,** ** **leaving only the heavy storm-clouds above and the four heroes on the beach, all eyes turned to none other than Loki within moments.**** Thor had somehow found his way to his brother's side in the chaos of the Black Hunt's sudden retreat, backed by a tense- but also very curious- Banner, whom Loki had stopped from being blown away by the fierce, stormy winds by grabbing the poor man by his collar and yanking him (rather roughly) back to ground with Thor's assistance.

They were already in a conversation as Stark and Rogers- who had also somehow avoided being blown away by Lor'Vael's storm- figured out what was happening and approached.

They came up slowly, cautiously, behind Banner, who dared still lurk nearby their former enemy, arms folded over his broad chest and dark, heavy brows furrowed in obvious amazement.

"...too ill to be making entrances like that," Thor was saying, before Loki cut him off, the golden spear in his hand disappearing in a flash of bright, white-hot light, as Stark and Rogers approached nearer, "You can't just-"

"Oh, please. _You've_ made many flashier appearances than that," Loki chuckled, his good humor seemingly returning with Lor'Vael's departure, "Besides, I daresay your friend here won't complain about it," he added with a leveled, even kind gesture at Banner, who didn't have a chance at answering before another voice joined them.

"Hey!"

Rogers' voice seemed to snap Thor and Loki out of their single focus on each other and draw them back into the reality around them, and Loki's smile even faltered a little as Rogers and Stark came up behind Banner, Stark putting a protective, iron-clad hand on Banner's shoulder.

"What's up?" He asked, with a lopsided smile. "Long time no see."

Thor watched Loki's jade-green eyes flicker warily at the two men in turn, before he answered silently, with only a short, cautious nod as an indication of his acknowledgment of the comment.

Stark's lopsided grin broadened, almost victoriously.

****N._.s._.S** **

****"T**** ** **here's a storm coming,"**** Loki announced to Thor in a quiet, weary voice, "That's probably why Lor'Vael retreated. A rainstorm would probably kill them all easily."

They stood quietly together out on the balcony of Stark Tower. Loki hadn't said a word on the way back, following behind them, watching their backs with a vigilant gaze that was unbroken even when one of them looked back at him- and there would be plenty of that from Stark.

Loki wasn't the kind of man to break a gaze like that first; not in the past, and certainly not now.

"I thought so," Thor answered, just as quietly, "They won't attack until it lets up. Right?"

"Right," Loki agreed, shortly, "Which probably gives your team plenty of time to interrogate me."

"They won't," Thor admitted, gently, "...They knew you were coming."

That made Loki pause and turn to Thor, a single, thin brow raised.

"How much did you tell them?"

"As much as I could."

Loki looked away from him then, and leaned over the support fence, pale hands gripping it tight as he looked over the eerily silent city, jade-green closing as he took a deep, though rather shaky, breath.

"He'll come after you first, Thor," Loki said, softly, without opening his eyes, instead closing them tighter, "Lor'Vael and the rest of the Hunt. You'll have to watch your back more carefully from here on out."

"And you as well."

The God of Mischief simply shook his head, and Thor watched as his brother's face paled to a new white as his eyes opened again, the jade-green weary and even darker than before he'd closed them moments ago, and the deep, black veins in his face blazing with some new, revitalized strength, making him look even worse.

Loki ran a hand through his shoulder-length raven hair as Thor spoke again, his strong voice cutting through the exhausted silence like a knife through butter.

"You should rest, brother."

His brother replied with a dark chuckle, just as the door behind them opened.

"Not on your life."

"Whoa, whoa," Stark's loud, cheery voice made them both jump, "Let's not have a repeat of last time, okay?"

Thor shot the man a warning look as Loki swore softly under his breath.

"What did the Captain say?" Thor asked, keeping an eye on Loki- who hadn't turned from the city yet, staring out almost absently, his eyes unfocused and distant, as if he wasn't really there for a moment.

"He checked with Fury before doing anything, of course. Explained everything you told us," Stark said, also keeping an eye trained on the God of Mischief's back as he spoke, "Fury said that as long as you keep an eye on him and he explains everything himself, he won't arrest him until after the Black Hunt is stopped."

_"What?"_

Thor's anger was enough for thunder to flash dangerously above the tower, and to jump Loki out of his reverie, and he turned, both thin, dark brows raised in surprise.

"What?" He echoed, throwing a cautious look at the God of Thunder, clearly stricken, "What now?"

"They're arresting you after we stop the Hunt."

Loki's brows sank down and he looked between his brother and Stark before putting a hand on his brother's shoulder, drawing him close as he answered in a whisper that Stark could not have intercepted.

_"You and I both know I won't live long enough for that."_

Thor's eyes flashed in both anger and pain, and he drew away, and turned away from both Stark and Loki as Loki turned to Stark, folding his arms behind his back.

"I'll answer any questions you and your superiors have for me. Furthermore," He announced, calmly- and Stark's tense shoulders eased a little as Loki added, quite diplomatically, "I'll also surrender myself to S.H.I.E.L.D after we have ensured the Hunt's defeat and their hostage's safe return."

"Do I have your word?" Stark asked, suspiciously, "You won't try anything?"

Loki merely held out his hand, carefully keeping his other behind his back.

"On my honor, Stark."

They shook hands.

But out of the corner of his eye, Thor realized that his brother had his fingers crossed the entire time.

****N._.s._.S** **


	17. Rainy Days I

**Chapter Seventeen: Rainy Days I.**

**"I always liked walking in the rain... there, no one could see me crying."**

**\- Charles Chaplin.**

**"Can we trust him?"** _Rogers asked as Stark plopped down on the couch, already out of his Iron-Man suit, and as Banner leaned heavily on the wall behind him._

"Do we have a choice?" Stark answered, sardonically.

"No. We don't," _Banner spoke up, much to Stark's and Rogers' astonishment,_ "He saved my life out there just now. We've got to acknowledge that, and give him a chance."

_Stark looked over at Banner, and then back at Rogers, who had already taken out a small cellphone. He fumbled with the unfamiliar tech for a minute before managing to pull the holographic screen out and cautiously press a few buttons before successfully connecting to S.H.I.E.L.D's secure communication network._

"I'm getting Fury on the line," _Cap stated, coolly,_ "We need him to help us figure this out."

"If we arrest him, he may go nuts again, right then and there," _Banner challenged, amazingly defensive of the man who had once tried to kill them all and take over their world- and, for all they knew, could be planning to do it all again,_ "Thor said that the Vael were as much as Loki's enemies as they were ours. You heard the story."

"That doesn't mean we can just bypass the chain of command and compromise S.H.I.E.L.D by letting one of their enemies too close- we can't afford that with the Black Hunt still out there," _Cap replied, sternly,_ "Yes; he saved your life, and we're all very grateful for that, but he's still dangerous."

"He doesn't look too hot right now, actually," _Stark pointed out, turning his head to look out the large, wall-window, where they could see Thor and Loki standing side-by-side out on the balcony, talking quietly,_ "Looks like he could drop any moment now. Even if he did try something, we could probably take him down again."

"Thor won't let us anywhere near him right now," _Banner protested, folding his arms tightly across his chest in clear, growing agitation, his eyes flashing a dangerous green,_ "Unless you want to try taking _him_ down too, we can't go near Loki with a pair of handcuffs unless we know for sure he's planning on betraying us."

_Before Stark could answer that, Cap spoke up once more- but not to either of his his comrades._

"Director Fury, this is Rogers... _yes,_ it's important... you _won't believe_ who just showed up..."

****N._.s._.S** **

****Loki ran a hand wearily through his hair as Thor gazed up at the angry, black clouds high above.** ** _They'd been standing out on the balcony together for what had to have been more than a few hours now, and it had been a while since they'd said anything to each other- but that was something Loki had expected._

_He knew Thor had seen him lie to Stark, and that his brother was upset about what he'd said after Stark revealed S.H.I.E.L.D's intention to arrest him, but Loki just couldn't bring himself to regret it._

_He wouldn't regret telling the truth (for once)._

_The God of Mischief allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment, tightening his cloak around his slightly trembling shoulders and taking a deep, calming breath as he leaned against the wall furthest from the balcony entrance, fully aware that the other three heroes had been watching his every move this whole time._

_Slowly, his shoulders relaxed, and his mind fell quiet for the first time in what felt like forever._

_The pain- and even just the anxiety- that had wrecked havoc on his body and plagued his mind since the day Remus Zak'Vael had Cursed him just short of a year ago, was taking its excruciating toll. He'd avoided it for as long as he possibly could, doing everything he could think of to suppress it, but it had grown exceedingly difficult._

_He wasn't strong enough to take the pain in silence anymore, just as Zak'Vael himself had proclaimed the night Loki fought him- and it was beginning to become obvious to those around him now._

_He just wasn't strong enough hide anymore._

_He wasn't going to make it._

"Loki."

_Loki opened his eyes, startled out of his reverie, and looked up to find Thor's bright, azure eyes peering at him. The God of Mischief blinked a couple times, shoving the morbid thoughts away._

_Thor was the only one who possibly could know, or even understand, his pain._

_He was the only one Loki had let in._

"You need to rest," _Thor continued, still looking into his eyes, stopping Loki from looking away by placing a firm, though kind, hand on his shoulder,_ "Please, brother."

_Please._

_Loki smirked, but this time, there was no emotion, no strength, behind it._

_Thor was only one Loki would ever let close enough to see he was slowly crumbling inside._

****N._.s._.S** **

****The**** ****storm came by morning.** **

It was a violent one- with winds that could blow plants from the roots, and rain and hail that could pierce skin. It was lucky that Lor'Vael had somehow known of the storm's arrival before anyone else; the hail alone could break the Vael's black, leathery hides and destroy the white, fibrous flesh underneath.

Stark was in the middle of considering all of this as he came up to the top-floor loft.

But he found a scene so bizarre waiting for him that it interrupted him.

None other than Loki stood over by the closed doors of the balcony, his back turned to Stark, watching the violent storm that ravaged the empty city, with his arms folded quietly over his chest.

Thor slumbered quietly on the couch closest to his adopted brother- and from the looks of it, the God of Thunder had been out for some time already.

Stark cleared his throat to catch Loki's attention.

"The storm won't blow out for a while yet," Was how Loki responded, and he still didn't turn to Stark even as he approached cautiously from behind, "Lor'Vael and the Hunt won't be foolish enough to fight in this."

"Great," Stark answered, cheerfully, with a quick glance at Thor, "How long has Thor been out?"

"Since just after midnight, I believe."

"And you?" Stark ventured, "Did _you_ sleep?"

"I have been plagued with insomnia as of late," Loki answered, startling Stark with the sincerity in his voice, "Besides, I'm not about to take a chance with Lor'Vael not trying anything, even now."

"You just said they couldn't fight-"

" _Couldn't_ and _wouldn't_ are two different terms, Stark."

Stark stared at him for a long, long flabbergasted moment before mercifully deciding to let the matter drop, turning on his heels and moving along to the bar on the other side of the room and switching on the coffee maker, stifling a yawn- and then a laugh- as the elevator door opens up and a thoroughly soaked Cap entered the loft.

"What happened to _you?_ " Stark demanded, "Didn't you sleep here?"

"I went for a run."

"In this weather?"

"I've run worse," Cap shrugged, with a quick glance at Loki, "I haven't seen a storm like this in ages, though. Maybe the Hunt had something to do with-?"

"The Black Hunt has no control over the weather."

Cap shot a glare at Loki's back, who didn't seem to notice the warning.

"How do you explain the whole black-clouds-of-doom thing then?" Stark retorted, heatedly, not about to let Loki, of all people, butt in without starting something, "What's with that?"

"That's the physical incarnation of the Curse they placed over your world, not a manipulation of the elements," Loki replied, and for the first time, he turned his head to look at them, jade-green eyes narrowed a little in clear, growing irritation, "I figured you _heroes_ knew that already, what with everything Thor told you?"

"Don't act all high and mighty," Cap warned, seriously, "We don't know everything, and nor do you."

"Quite the contrary, actually."

"Then why can't you take them down yourself?" Stark deadpanned.

All the air in the room seemed to freeze at that rather insolent query, and Loki's jade-green eyes instantly lit up with anger; but that only lasted for a split second before being replaced by something else- something that neither Stark or Rogers had a chance at guessing.

Instead of retorting, Loki simply snorted quietly and turned away again.

Stark and Cap went back to their coffee and conversation.

And the God of Mischief didn't say another word for the rest of the morning.

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ** **hor slept well into the afternoon as the storm wore on; and neither Loki or the rest of the team saw any reason to wake him.**** Loki never left his position by the doors of the balcony, staring almost absently into the heavy, swirling black clouds, and only spoke when asked a direct question- and then only answering either Cap's or Banner's; seemingly having chosen to ignore Stark completely from there on out.

"He looks like a ghost," Banner murmured, uneasily, with a glance at Loki near noon.

"As long as he doesn't go insane and start killing people again, I say let him be," Cap answered, though even he too seemed concerned as the hours wore on and and on and the God of Mischief remained in the same position, never shifting or giving a sign of life when a real person should have, "He isn't hurting anyone."

"Except maybe himself," Banner answered, darkly, "That can't be good for him."

Stark wasn't helping.

"Come on," He said with a fake, despairing groan when the two voiced their growing concerns to him in the early evening, "It's Thor's job to watch _Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent_ over there."

"Thor's _asleep_ ," Banner protested, "He isn't watching-"

"Besides, Loki hasn't killed anyone or moved in the past four hours, so we're good."

Finally, though, a little while after Stark went down to R & D to "work" on his suit before the coming battle (and Cap went down with to keep an eye on him), Banner found he just couldn't take it anymore.

So, he got up, shut his book with a soft snap, and walked straight up to Loki, the God of Mischief, the man who had once been their team's greatest enemy- and whom for all they knew could be planning on doing it again- and simply set a hand on his thin shoulder.

Loki jumped, startled back into reality at the unexpected touch, but when he quickly turned his head to Banner, his jade-green eyes softened a little, though his shoulders were still terribly tense.

"Yes, Banner?" He asked, looking back outside at the hail still wreaking havoc outside.

"Come sit with me."

"I'm sorry?"

There's such a stricken tone to Loki's voice that Banner can't help but smile a little.

"Come sit with me," He repeated, patiently, as nicely as he could.

Though still visably stunned by the invitation, Loki joined Banner at the bar, sitting down quietly at the table after that. And now, away from the window and curtains that half-veiled the God of Mischief's form from view, Banner saw exactly why Thor had been so protective over his younger brother the night before.

There were black vein-like lines that stretched from around Loki's eyes all the way down the rest of his face and dipped jaggedly over his chin and down his collar. Banner also noticed that under his jade-green eyes (not the eerily bright azure that he so starkly remembered from three years ago) there were dark shadows, the all-too familiar bruises of insomnia and- in Banner's experience- terrible nightmares.

He had a feeling that even a man like Loki got those.

Loki looked ill.

Like he was dying- or, at least, getting close to it.

"You don't look well," Banner said, as calmly as he could, "Something happened, didn't it?"

Banner had half-expected the God of Mischief to deny it, or refuse to tell him anything, or even, as in his very name, lie straight to his face and tell him nothing was wrong- but, instead, to his utmost surprise, Loki actually smiled at his question, his lips forming a small, amused smile.

"Yes."

"Would you tell me if I asked?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"How nicely you ask me."

Banner can't help but chuckle at that, and he glanced over at Thor, his thick dark brows cinching together a little even as his friend sleeps peacefully on the couch, breathing deeply and calmly, only twitching every so often with his dreams, looking utterly at peace even in the chaotic, uncertain reality that surrounded him.

"Please tell me."

Loki smiled again, and as he followed Banner's gaze to Thor, it broadened just enough to light up his abnormally pale face and almost miserable, sharp features.

"It's a long story."

"I think we've got time to spare."

Loki's jade-green eyes flashed and he nodded once, slowly, his eyes never leaving Banner's- as though the man interested him so much now, that he was even willing to let down his guard a little to invite him into his world; an invitation, Banner was sure, that he very rarely, if ever, extended to anyone.

"Indeed, we do."

****N._.s._.S** **


	18. A Road to War I

****Chapter Eighteen: A Road to War I.  
** **

**" **Of course... you know this means war."****

****\- Joe Adamson.** **

****Loki**** ****hadn't counted on telling Banner- or anyone else, really- the whole story behind how he was Cursed, but he found that as he told it, everything seemed to flow together; as though each event was so deeply interconnected, that it would have been impossible to tell one part, and not move on to the next.** **

He explained what the Vael were and the whole purpose behind their Curses, and explained how they worked. He went into the history he had researched of the Vaelheim and their hatred for the Jotun, the Thrice War and how it came about (and the outcome), and the Vaelhiem's banishment by the previous All-Father, Borr.

He also described the events that led up to the Black Hunt Cursing Midgard.

Banner listened patiently and carefully to the story, even as time wore on and on, occasionally asking a question or two. Unlike Thor, he never questioned or challenged the things he said; and he seemed genuinely interested in the history behind everything that had happened.

Loki had finally found someone just as interested as he in the why aspect of the Vael; instead of being solely focused in the retribution of the wrongs they had committed.

"Thor told us about some of these things before you showed up," Banner said, quietly, when Loki finally finished, "But he never told us _why_. It was only what they were doing and how we could stop them."

"That's because Thor doesn't understand why himself," Loki replied, with a quick glace at Thor as he spoke (who still slept on; despite it almost being nearly a full twenty-four hours since he fell asleep), "He never listened- not really, even in the beginning. That's one of the reasons he was sent to this world in the first place."

Banner didn't have an answer for that; he averted his gaze toward the balcony windows, watching the storm that still violently ravaged the empty city outside.

"You were Cursed by Remus Zak'Vael," Banner finally said, breaking through the stiff silence and turning back to Loki, his dark brown eyes, ringed with the bright, jade-green of the creature that lurked deep inside, glistening in what the God of Mischief could only interpret as sorrow, "What does that entail, exactly?"

"Simply, it means I'm not going to be around much longer."

"And _not_ so simply?"

"It means that, very literally, my soul is being ripped apart from the inside," Loki explained, slowly, forcing himself not to look at Banner as he continued, "It means that when I die, I won't, in the common sense, _'move on;'_ because there will be nothing left for the Gods to judge. It's a damnation of a different kind."

Banner whistled softly, and his eyes flashed again, the jade expanding for a split second.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Loki snorted and shook his head, "It's been long in coming."

That made Banner pause, but he recovered rather quickly. "Does Thor know?"

"Of course. I suspect that's why he's been so concerned about me lately."

"He was the last time you were here, too."

That made Loki glance back at Thor and smirk a little.

"No one has ever accused my brother of being heartless..." He said, softly, keeping a weary gaze on his brother as he added, quite honestly, "He's a fool, of course, but nothing worse than that."

"Too kind for his own good?"

"Far, far too kind."

They were silent for a long time after that, neither of them looking at each other, avoiding the gaze of the other- Banner's, somehow sharp and knowing; and Loki's, weary and worried.

"You're not afraid, are you?" Banner asked, quietly, almost curiously, "Of the end?"

"Death comes for everyone. Some live longer, some live shorter."

"That's a justification, not an answer."

Loki smirked and shook his head.

"I refuse to be afraid of monsters," He finally answered, "Just as you, I believe."

Banner rose a single, dark brow.

"My _monster_ can be controlled," He pointed out, quietly, "Yours can't."

"True," Loki agreed, with another smirk, "But there's something that we have in common."

"Oh?" Banner looked curious now, "And what's that?"

"We won't let them control us anymore."

Banner actually smiled.

****N._.s._.S** **

****"Stark**** ****what are these?"** **

Cap held up the two glass-like spheres (one purple and one red) that Stark had managed to snatch from Kai'Vael. The souls were about the size of a fist, and, aside from the various scratches of different sizes and depths, they looked perfectly unharmed; but they didn't look like something that their enemy would carry for no reason.

"I don't know," Stark answered, "When Thor's awake, we'll ask him."

"Loki's probably the one we want for information."

" _You_ want to ask him?"

"He's obligated to answer our questions."

Stark snorted and tossed one of the little spheres up in the air, but before he could reply, the metal doors of the lab slid open, revealing Banner, backed by a very wary-looking Loki.

Loki saw the little spheres Stark had, and rose a thin brow.

"I wouldn't be touching those, if I were you," He warned, sliding a hand into his pocket and pulling out a pair of black gloves, "Put them down."

Banner shook his head and Stark grimaced, tossing the purple soul up into the air again.

"Nope," He answered, and Cap threw a warning look at him, "I like them."

"You'll crack them," Loki continued, pulling on the gloves and returning his hands to his pockets again, his jade-green eyes on the two little spheres the stubborn man still kept a firm grasp on, "Then there really will be no way for me to return the lost Barton and Romanov to you."

That made Stark hastily put the two little spheres down on the table again.

"Human souls are far more easily breakable than Asgardian and Jotun," Loki said, turning to Cap as he spoke, "They crack under even the gentlest of handling. It takes a fair hand to keep them."

"A hand you have, I presume?" Cap answered, folding his arms.

"Oddly enough, yes."

"Am I the only one who heard _souls_?" Stark demanded after a long, uncomfortable moment of silence, though he backed away from the two little souls as he spoke, "Are we supposed to just go along with this?"

"Souls," Loki repeated with another raised brow, this time in obvious, half-amusement, "Don't tell me Thor didn't bother to explain exactly what happened to your friends?"

Cap and Stark glanced warily at each other.

Banner simply folded his arms and leaned against the metal door, waiting; trading a single, sharp nod with the God of Mischief when he shot a look at him.

"The Curse the Black Hunt placed upon Midgard is specifically designed to steal the souls of mortals," Loki began, turning back to Stark and Cap, calmly, with his hands still in his pockets, "It fades the bodies away, since they are essentially only shells to protect the souls and are useless to them."

"What we have here," he points to the two little souls, "Is a paradox. Usually, mortal souls are so easily broken that leaving their host bodies destroys them within days. But your friends' souls show no sign of breaking anytime soon... something I'm not exactly surprised at."

"And why's that?" Banner spoke up from behind Loki, making the latter actually smile.

"Because for some reason, Thor's friends are always the exception to the rule."

"Can you fix them?" Stark asked after another glance at Cap, "And the rest of the victims?"

"That's not how Curses work," Loki answered, looking away from Stark at the question, jade-green eyes darkening ever so slightly as he added, "But I'm already looking into it."

"On stopping it?"

Loki simply nodded. He crossed the room and, after a quick, wry glance at Stark, he picked up the two little souls and peered into the purple one, dark eyes squinting as he stared at it, turning the sphere in his hands as he looked over it, seemingly looking for something particularly difficult to see.

"This is Clint Barton's soul," He announced with a smirk, holding it up to Stark, and then holding the other, bright red one up, "And this other one is Natasha Romanov's."

"How do you know that?" Stark retorted, folding his arms.

"No soul is the same color," Loki answered, simply, "And each one comes with a special feel to it- it's easier to notice if you knew the person. I happen to know Clint Barton's soul particularly well."

"Because you controlled him with the Tesseract," Cap spoke up, and Loki instantly set the two souls down again and backed away, looking a little stung, "Right?"

"Yes," Loki replied, slowly, "Lucky for us, however, that might come in handy. Using the information I extracted from him three years ago, I might be able to reconstruct them."

"Reconstruct?"

"You really think the whole 'no body' thing is unimportant? Their bodies were virtually destroyed in the Curse," Loki replied, softly, looking down at the little souls before him, "You look upon two Soulless; people who have had all but the innermost part of their beings destroyed."

"But you said you can fix them?" Cap countered, quickly, "How exactly does that work?"

"The thing about Curses is that there is only one way to counter them," Loki said, quietly, turning back to Cap as he spoke, "And even that one way has a thousand requirements that must be fulfilled for it to even work."

"And do you meet all those requirements?" Stark asked- so dubiously that both Banner and Cap shot him warning looks, which, of course, went completely ignored.

"We'll see, won't we?"

At that one, Banner and Cap returned their gazes to the God of Mischief.

"What is this one way?" Cap asked him, seriously, "I think that's something we should all know."

Loki gazed straight into Rogers' leveled, dark blue eyes as he replied.

"I am not going to tell you that," He declared, softly, not even flinching as Cap stepped toward him, though the reaction was more out of surprise than anything, "It's not something that can be freely told or explained."

"That's crap!" Stark declared, fiercely, almost threateningly, "You can't just-"

"I will do what is necessary," Loki finally snapped, his patience waning at last as he turned on Stark in the space of a heartbeat, "Besides, this secret is not mine to give."

With that, Loki turned and brushed past Banner as he left R & D, leaving a fuming Stark and a bewildered-looking Cap in his wake, all as Banner kept calm near the door, his arms still folded across his broad chest, and his dark, jade-ringed eyes flickering dangerously as the door shut with a sharp, metallic snap.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Thor**** ****had officially been asleep for two days, and Loki couldn't blame him.** **

_He knew that his older brother was almost as exhausted as he was, and knew for a fact that Thor hadn't slept well for the past year. He had seen him walking through the corridors in the middle of the night like a lost soul, his formerly bright, azure eyes becoming terrifyingly dark and expressionless as he wandered aimlessly through the halls; and had watched Jane gently guide him back to their bed in the darkness._

_Jane was the only one who could save the God of Thunder from a waking nightmare._

_Loki looked over at Thor from where he sat, on the couch across from him, and smiled, his own weary, jade-green eyes lighting up the slightest bit as he watched his brother sleep._

At the very least, you can find your peace, _He thought,_ At least I know you'll make it. You always made it in the end, no matter what got in your way.

At least, I can save you.

_Something buried deep within the God of Mischief throbs painfully and he finally looked away from Thor, hiding is pale face in his hands and rubbing at the tired lines that creased his forehead._

And I can save what is precious to you, too.

That will be my final gift, Thor.

_Despite his attempts to rub the weariness away, sleep was closing in on him, and Loki just wasn't strong enough to fight it. The suffocating embrace quickly overwhelmed him, and, even as he fought to keep his eyes open, fought to stay awake and keep watch over his brother, the God of Mischief slowly succumbed to darkness._

I'll... protect that which you cherish... for you.

****N._.s._.S** **


	19. A Road to War II

****Chapter Nineteen: A Road to War II.** **

**" **Of course... you know this means war."****

****\- Joe Adamson.** **

****T**** ** **hor woke just as the first beams of sunlight managed to slice through the curtains that had been drawn over the wall-length window to cover the storm that had raged on just the night before.**** Now, the sky was bright and clear, free of even the nightmarish black clouds of the Curse- though as he sat up and stretched, Thor saw that they still loomed over the distant horizon, like an omen of the battles yet to come.

There was a soft sigh behind him, and the God of Thunder turned.

And promptly smiled.

Loki was asleep on the couch across from him. He was resting on the arm of the chair, comfortably half-way laying on his side, his arm crooked underneath his head for support. Curly tendrils fell across the God of Mischief pale face and fell over his shoulder, partially obscuring his sleeping form from view.

It was a rare thing to see Loki sleep, even in the past- and especially now. Thor could only remember a few specific times he'd seen it himself over the past few years, and even the past few centuries.

Loki didn't like it when people were in the same room as him when he slept.

 _Are you afraid?_ Thor had once asked him.

Loki had simply chuckled and shook his head at that.

_I just don't like to think that people watch me when I sleep._

_You're just paranoid, brother._

_And you're annoying._

Thor can't help but let his smile broaden a little as he slowly knelt before Loki, gently brushing back the curly tendrils of hair so he could peer into his brother's face, taking extreme care not to wake him.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Loki was peaceful. He was still deathly pale and those damned, black lines still ran in sharp corners down his pale face, and Thor knew that they had stretched down his neck and collarbone- and perhaps even further and deeper than that.

And, despite the peaceful look on his face, he was still so tense.

As if he couldn't escape reality even within his own dreams.

"Look who finally decided to join the world of the living!"

Thor stood up as he quietly unlatched his cloak, barely paying Stark any mind as the man bounded too-cheerily into the loft, throwing it gently over his brother's shoulders as he turned to face his friend.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Two days," Stark answered, but before Thor could say anything about that, he jerked his head to the window and the bright sky beyond, "But you're in time for the fight."

Thor glanced at Loki and Stark's smile faltered slightly.

"Looks like _he's_ not, though," He added, tonelessly.

The God of Thunder threw Stark an unappreciative glower, and for once, the man took the hint, turning sharply on his heel to the bar, where he quietly pulled out a few mugs and switched on the coffee maker.

He waited until Thor had stopped glaring at him and had taken a few sips of coffee before speaking again, this time cautiously, as if gauging the God of Thunder's reaction from his words.

"Loki said he found a way to stop the Curse."

Thor's bright azure eyes flashed up to Stark, golden brows arching in apparent interest.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Stark ran his fingers through his wild black hair and glanced toward the God of Mischief as he added, quite darkly, "He told Banner everything last night."

"About what?"

" _Everything,_ " Stark repeated, seriously, putting down his mug, "But he won't tell us what Loki said."

"My brother told me there was no way to stop Curses a long time ago," Thor answered, slowly, his voice surprisingly calm, "If he'd found a way to stop them, he would have said something- he would have told me."

"Loki isn't exactly known for his _honesty_ , Thor," Stark stated, flatly, despite the glare he received from the God of Thunder, "He could have just _told_ you there wasn't a way, knowing you'd believe him even if there was a way."

"He wouldn't lie about something like this," Thor retorted, fiercely, with a glance at Loki as he spoke, "We may not be able to trust him fully, but I know he would _never_..."

Thor's voice trailed off, and he adverted his gaze from Loki, training them on his mug and refusing to look at Stark again, azure eyes flashing and brows furrowing, buried deep in thought.

Stark just ran his fingers through his dark hair and sighed heavily, shaking his head and muttering something inaudible under his breath as he took another sip of his coffee.

They were silent for a long time after that.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Cap**** ****and Banner joined them early in the afternoon; Cap bearing news from Fury.** **

"Fury managed to track the Hunt," _He said as he pulled up a chair beside Stark, who had been watching Banner cautiously through the corner of his eyes the moment he'd walked in,_ "We know their location."

_That caught Thor's attention, and he looked up.  
_

"When will we go after them?" _Stark asked._

"As soon as Fury gives the signal," _Cap answered with a sharp nod,_ "We'll be ready."

_Thor followed his gaze and quickly realized that Cap's eyes weren't focused on either of them._

_They were on Loki._

"Someone had better wake Loki before that happens," _He said, his tone noticeably hardening a little as he turned his gaze on Thor and Banner,_ "Preferably one of you."

_Thor and Banner traded cautious glances._

_Thor smiled a little at him._

_Banner grimaced back, and his dark eyes flashed a dangerous jade for a fraction of a second._

_Stark looked between them and snorted._

****N._.s._.S** **

****In**** ****the end, after a brief talk with a very irritable Banner, Thor was chosen to wake Loki.** **

Very slowly, as he had done that very same morning, Thor knelt before his brother after making sure that the other three members of the team had left the room. He then put a hand on his shoulder, and, just as Loki had done when they were children, shook gently, slowly easing him back into consciousness.

Loki's jade-green eyes flickered oddly as they focused on Thor, and his thin, dark brows furrowed together in clear confusion as he seemingly looked right through him, as though he didn't really see him at all.

It took a few more kind words and another shake to get his brother to return to himself.

Loki sat up, slowly brushing back his hair as Thor latched his crimson cape back around his shoulders.

"Sleep well?" Thor asked him with a small smile.

"Relatively," Loki answered, quietly, "Better than usual."

"I'm sorry for waking you," Thor told him, sincerely, "But we're going after the Hunt soon."

That made Loki look up at him, his eyes flashing again, this time a little stronger than before.

"They found out where they were hiding?"

Even his voice was stronger than it had been last time.

"Fury and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D tracked them."

"Where?"

"The Captain didn't say."

Loki's jade-green eyes flashed thoughtfully at that, and he folded his arms.

"They can't have gone too far," He said at last, after a long moment of silence, "It wouldn't be feasible."

"Let's go find out, shall we?"

His brother smiled for the first time in a long time.

"After you," He said, softly, "This is _your_ crowd, is it not?"

"That they are."

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ** **hey nearly ran into Banner outside of R & D. ****The normally calm and patient man was clearly tense; agitated by something Thor couldn't identify. To Thor's relief, though, he seemed already friendly with Loki, giving him a kind smile, which Loki actually returned with another smile of his own and a firm nod.

"Banner," Loki said, approvingly, "What's the matter?"

"Stark," Banner answered, flatly, and Thor groaned internally.

Stark pissing off Banner?

Rare, but not completely unheard of.

Unfortunately.

"What happened?" The God of Thunder spoke up, "Did something happen?"

"Not just _something_ ," Banner grumbled, irritably _._

Loki threw Thor a questioning look and, as Banner turned to reopen the door to R & D, Thor shrugged.

Loki rolled his eyes as they walked into the large, bright room.

"Don't touch anything!" Stark's voice suddenly snapped as they crossed the threshold.

No one but Loki jumped.

Thor chuckled and simply patted his brother's shoulder in reassurance as Loki swore under his breath.

"Not planning on it, Stark," Banner said, peevishly.

At Banner's voice, Stark peeked up sheepishly from behind his suit, which stood up on its own thanks to several suspenders that hung from the ceiling.

"I thought you were Cap," He said, standing up pulling out a remote. The suspenders that hung up the Iron-Man suit snapped off and set the suit back down, also causing neon-blue schematics to pop out from various walls from around the room, "He got a call a few minutes ago. Thought he'd come in to tell me what happened."

"Are we leaving soon, then?" Banner asked as Stark went on flicking through the screens of data.

Loki held out a hand and gingerly prodded one of them as it darted past.

He promptly snatched it back and grimaced when the screen hissed at him.

"I think so," Stark answered Banner before turning his head to Loki, adding in a somewhat sympathetic tone, "And I'm afraid this tech might be a _little_ over your head, Loki."

Loki grimaced again, but for some reason, he chose not to retort, and Thor put a hand on his brother's shoulder again, throwing Stark an unappreciative look.

Stark simply flicked the remote again, and the schematics disappeared.

 _Main suit at 100% power,_ An electronic voice declared after a long moment of silence, _Ready for arms._

"Check weapons and the backups again," Stark replied, sharply, "Then ready the extra suit."

_Yes. Calibrating..._

Banner noticed the stricken look on Loki's face when he traded glances with Thor.

"Don't worry," He spoke up kindly as Stark continued working, so far buried into his work that he'd seemingly forgotten about the three other people still in the room with him, "Stark disengaged your enemy profile after Fury gave the okay last night. None of the suits will target you."

If even possible at that point, Loki paled to a new shade of white.

He tried to step back, away from the suit and Stark, but Thor kept a firm grasp on his shoulder and gave him another reassuring nod, though after that, the tense, suddenly distrustful look in the God of Mischief's eyes never fully faded, and he seemed slightly warier of them all than he had been just moments ago.

_Calibration complete. Both suits are at 100% power with backups rounding at another full percent._

"When you're done," A new voice popped up, causing Stark to look up from his data for the first time and for Thor, Loki, and Banner to turn for the door.

Cap stood there, already suited up (shield and all) stood in the open hallway, his arms folded coolly across his broad chest, a smile just barely noticeable on his pale lips.

"When you're done," He repeated as they all stared at him, "Suit up."

****N._.s._.S** **

****A**** ** **s they left the tower, Loki held three souls against his chest- Barton's and Natasha's coupled with his own, the familiar golden that one he'd withdrawn from his pocket (much to the surprise of everyone but Thor).**** Together, they lit up together in a teeming bright mixture of gold, purple, and red.

"An odd phenomena," Loki had commented, genuinely intrigued as he gently stowed the three glass-like spheres back into his pocket again, "Perhaps souls instinctively interact with one another?"

"Your soul was green last we met," Thor replied, quietly, as they made it outside with the others.

"It changed color," Loki answered, simply, under his breath so that only his brother could hear their conversation, "Nothing to be worried about."

"Loki..."

"Trust me, Thor," Loki answered, looking over at him with a small smile, "If only just for now."

_I wish I could trust you._

_Trust my rage._

Thor doesn't answer and quickly looks away, avoiding his brother's gaze.

"Where did Fury find them?" The God of Thunder asked as Tony, carrying with him a suitcase of crimson and gold, came up right beside him, "Not so far?"

"Just a couple miles off, toward Boston," Stark answered, "They were right under our noses this whole time."

Thor felt Loki nudge gently at his side.

"Told you." Loki muttered with another smile.

Thor ignored him.

****N._.s._.S** **


	20. Too Long a Road to Hell I

**Chapter Twenty: Too Long a Road to Hell I.**

**"... Shall I tell him to go find a short and unpleasant route to hell?"**

**\- John Ringo.**

**Loki ran a gloved hand through his hair, brushing the long, curly tendrils back and swore softly under his breath just as they entered the Boston city limits.** Overhead, the black, foreboding clouds of the Curse swirled tightly together, seemingly growing darker and more ominous the closer the small team got to the Black Hunt's hideout.

Loki suddenly coughed, and the sharp, raspy noise startled the others and pierced the uncomfortable silence.

Thor shot him a disturbed, sideways glance.

Loki easily ignores him, instead keeping his eyes trained on the darkness above.

They had been told to approach the Hunt slowly- an order directly from Fury; and one that everyone seemed content to follow; even Loki, who had been so inexplicably calm and silent through the whole five-hour long trip, that his small smile never faded, even through the oddly tense silence that had ensued hours ago.

"Why Boston?" Stark asked Loki, cautiously, as he pulled slowly to the side of the main road into the city, causing the God of Mischief to finally look away from the sky, "Is this some kind of a trap?"

"If you have to resort to asking me such a thing," Loki answered, quietly, as he opened the door, a single, thin brow raised in obvious amusement, "Then you must already know the answer."

Stark glowered at him, but wisely chose not to retort, turning back to Cap instead.

"We go in quietly," Cap began, promptly, leaning against the side of Stark's car, arms folding slowly across his chest, "Stark, suit up and search for them by air. Banner, you and I will check underground. Thor, Loki, you two got topside."

He straightened up as he continued, this time speaking to all of them.

"Be careful."

**N._.s._.S**

**Loki tossed the fist-sized, golden soul up into the air as he and Thor walked side-by-side down a long, empty city street, deftly catching the little thing as it fell back to earth.** At first, Thor tried to ignore it, but eventually, simple concern (and something else) finally got the better of him.

The fifth or sixth time Loki did it, he spoke up.

"Stop doing that," He snapped as his brother caught his soul out of the air again.

Loki snorted.

"What?" He asked, quietly, throwing it up again, "Why should I? It's mine, isn't it?"

"And?" Thor retorted, impatiently, "You're going to drop it."

That was a seriously lame thing to say, and Thor knew it.

Loki snorted again.

"I don't think so."

"Loki-"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

"Too bad," The God of Mischief replied, flatly, tossing it up again, "I can do what I want with it."

Thor shot him a warning look, but it went duly ignored as Loki looked up into the blackened sky, tossing up the golden soul into the air once more as his jade-green eyes narrowed.

"How many have they taken?" He asked, suddenly, turning to look at Thor after a long moment of silence.

"I don't know the exact number," Thor answered, shortly, "But it's in the billions by now."

"Billions," Loki repeated, his voice suddenly soft again, "I wonder how many survive still?"

"We'll save them all."

"That's improbable at best," Loki shook his head as he finally pocketed the golden soul again, turning to Thor as he added, quite coolly, "There's no way all of them will make it."

"Why not?" Thor replied, darkly, "They're not as powerless as you-"

"It's not what _I_ believe," Loki snapped, interrupting him, his voice suddenly dangerous, "It's a fact that Human souls are weaker than others. You should be grateful I can even save a few of them!"

"So you _can_ stop the Curse!"

Those words sounded far more accusing than Thor actually meant them to be- and it showed, for Loki's jade-green eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously, and he stopped walking.

"What I _can_ and _can't_ do," He finally answered, coolly, "Is none of your concern."

"You told me there was no way to stop it," Thor retorted, heatedly, "You said-"

"I said there was no way to save _me_!"

Loki leaned against the corner of the empty alley, running a hand through his hair, refusing to look at the God of Thunder and shooting him a terrible look when he reached out for him.

"Listen to me, Thor," He said, pushing himself off the wall and folding his arms, looking away from Thor into the darkness of the alleyway they stood before, his voice growing slightly softer as he continued (though it still had a hard edge to it), "The Curse doesn't work like-"

"Don't give me that!" Thor snapped, loosing patience at last; the obvious anger in his voice finally forcing his brother to look back at him at last, startled, "You said there was no way to break your Curse. You spent the last year telling me, over and over again, how impossible it was."

Before Loki could answer, a new voice joined them.

_That's because it is impossible._

Even before he turned, Thor knew it was Lor'Vael who had appeared, half-hidden in the darkness of the alleyway, his arms folded rather primly behind his back.

Lor'Vael's bright, colorless eyes flickered to Loki as he spoke again, voice oddly pleasant despite the edge that was slowly creeping up behind it.

_You never bothered to tell him, did you?_

Loki's brows cinched together a little, and his jade-green eyes flashed dangerously as he stepped past Thor, throwing out his arm to stop the God of Thunder from moving forward himself.

_You never bothered telling him how you made sure that there was nothing left to save._

Loki could feel Thor's eyes drilling holes into his back, but he didn't bother looking back.

_You never bothered letting him in on your little secret._

"Loki," Thor began, "What-"

"Don't listen to him, Thor," Loki snapped, interrupting him, "Don't you dare listen to him now."

 _Did I strike a nerve, Soulless?_ Lor'Vael chuckled, even as he reached for the scythe belted tightly to his back, _Or perhaps, you were fool enough to believe that you could escape it?_

"Loki?" Thor questioned, impatiently, and Loki shot a warning look over his shoulder at him.

Lor'Vael simply laughed, twirling his silver scythe over his head and slamming the blade into the ground.

 _You really are the God of Lies, aren't you?_ He asked Loki, whose fists clenched at the question, _Such a fitting name. Asgard truly couldn't have chosen a better one for you._

"Ha!" Loki snorted, and ran a hand through his hair, brushing back a few stray strands from his face, "Fine words from a man whose very birth was ensured to serve his King."

Lor'Vael was not impressed with that one.

 _Wasn't that the very reason why Odin took_ you _from the threshold of Jotunheim?_

The retort stung, and Thor saw Loki's jade-green eyes flash in hurt-

And then anger.

 _See, the difference between you and I, Soulless,_ Lor'Vael declared, softly, _Is that while my life was indeed destined to serve Ceil Zak'Vael, I was honored for that existence. Yours, however, was on the other side of the spectrum. Laufey discarded you to die, for you were not fit to be at his side. Odin found you then, and saved you from that pathetic fate- but you weren't even truly his after he took you in, were you? Whatever reasons he'd come up with in the future, he took you then to be a tool he could use against Laufey and your own people- a tool he could use to continue his iron-fisted rule over the Nine Realms._

_But you failed to be even that._

"Laufey was a madman and a fool," Loki answered, so quietly that Thor nearly missed the shaking half-hidden underneath, "And you're wrong about Odin."

 _Am I now?_ Lor'Vael retorted, _That's not what you thought when he told you the truth, was it?_

This was the first time that someone had mentioned Loki's crimes in anything but passing for what had to have been over a year now. It had been a sore subject in Odin's halls and throughout Asgard, and so eventually, all but a select few finally let it go as more pressing matters- such as the Vael- turned up.

 _In fact, you were desperate enough to prove it false that you finished Ceil Zak'Vael's mission to destroy the Jotunheim,_ Lor'Vael continued, adding with a soft chuckle, _Why, you even went so far as to murder Laufey. But all that backfired, didn't it? Your_ mistakes _cost you very dearly now, don't they?_

Loki didn't answer, and Lor'Vael chuckled again.

_Your own soul crumbles under your own foolishness._

As Lor'Vael spoke, Thor stepped up next to Loki and traded a minute look with his brother; bright azure meeting its match in jade-green for a split second before the God of Mischief looked back at Lor'Vael, clenching a hand deep in the pocket of his cloak.

Suddenly, without so much as a warning, Lor'Vael moved quicker than Thor could see-

But so did Loki.

The scythe came crashing down onto something thin, silver, and barely only six-inches long; but the broken blade of the dagger Thor had given Loki many years ago somehow held up against the far larger weapon, and even managed to draw the thing back, away from its intended targets.

The blade sunk into Loki's gloved hands as the pressure between the weapons grew.

 _You will not best me, Soulless,_ Lor'Vael declared, pressing the flat side of his scythe further down upon Loki's small blade- and Thor was shoved back to reality with a jolt as he watched a blood begin to sink through the black gloves his brother wore and stream silently to the ground between him and his enemy, _You will not-!_

Thor didn't wait to hear the rest of his words.

The scythe didn't stand a chance against a direct hit from Mjolnir.

**N._.s._.S**

**Axel Hernsson was the first to hear the raging screams of Loki's soul.** _Around him, one by one, his guards and councilors fell to their knees, each overwhelmed by the sheer strength of the defiant cries. Unperturbed, the Honored King slowly ran his thin black fingers through his long bangs, brushing the errant tendrils of hair back, maroon eyes flashing in faint amusement as Asgard finally took notice of the keening, which had grown ever stronger through these passing months, and had just surpassed the unnatural quality of the Vael's hearing and entered the normal spectrum of sound at last._

Fret not, _He said, nonchalantly, as Odin rose slowly to his feet, alarmed by the cries that pierced through the silent golden halls,_ These cries are not simply a dying lament, but a challenge to the foe that awaits it.

"Is it Loki?"

If you wish to see that as the truth, then I shall gladly tell you it be so.

"The truth, Hernsson," _Odin answered, with a glance toward the hall door,_ "Tell me the truth."

There is but one way to break a Curse- you undoubtedly know that by now, _Axel explained, quite kindly as he folded his arms behind his back, watching as his advisers slowly, unsteadily, got back to their feet,_ It is a secret how to do so exactly; though it is said that this truth is revealed only to a single soul once every millennium- one soul desperate enough to be willing to pay an agonizing price for it to be whispered to him by by the Gods themselves.

"But do you know it yourself?"

I have heard rumors that seem credible over the past thousand or so years, _Axel answered with a chuckle, as he and the All-Father made their way into the courtyard, toward the palace gates,_ But obviously none alive now know the truth for certain- except, perhaps, I daresay, one who will not be with us for much longer.

_Before Odin could answer that, there was another shriek, this one so powerful that it vibrated off the golden gates and shook the earth and sky-_

_And it grew ever closer as the two kings crossed the Bifrost toward Heimdall, who stood vigil at the entrance._

You would do well to keep your blade sheathed, _Axel warned the Gatekeeper, sharply, as they approached,_ It would be a fool's move to challenge the being that approaches fast.

"What is it?" _Heimdall answered, taking his massive hand off the great blade sheathed at his side, keeping his golden eyes instead on the glittering rainbow bridge before them and only giving the two Kings a slight nod as they made to stand beside him,_ "I've not seen such a great light, nor heard such terrible cries, in all my days."

They say that there is a creature that exists within each soul powerful enough to summon the truth, _Axel said as he unfolded his arms from behind his back and turning his large, maroon eyes toward the Gatekeeper, as he answered,_ Unfortunately, I know not this beast's purpose, or how it comes to lay within the soul of their masters.

"But you have an idea, do you not?"

_Axel's maroon eyes flashed again, and he nodded._

I do, _He told them, quietly,_ Souls are sometimes just as predictable as the bodies and minds they inhabit. Loki, though he is well-versed in the art of deception, is far from a master. He is insecure of himself and his place within these worlds; a fault surely not his own, and spawned when he learned what he was.

_Axel turned to Odin as he continued._

Your son is a perfect meld between two very different worlds- Asgard; which is bright, noble, and beautiful, and of the Jotunheim; cold, savage, and brutally intelligent. From the moment you laid your hand upon him, he was one trapped between two, doomed to never belong to one world or the other.

And now that the Gods have finished whispering their secret to him, and his soul has revealed its true power... _Axel turned just as something akin to a small sun began materializing just above the highest tower of the golden palace,_ Loki must now choose what's worth sacrificing it for.

_Neither Odin or Heimdall could find words to retort to that._

_After a long, tortuous moment of silence, Axel Hernsson clasped his hands together over his chest in a silent prayer as the cries of Loki's soul grew louder and louder- piercing the very core of the world that had so soundly, and almost unknowingly, rejected it._

**N._.s._.S**


	21. Too Long a Road to Hell II

**Chapter Twenty-One: Too Long a Road to Hell II.**

****"... Shall I tell him to go find a short and unpleasant route to hell?"** **

****\- John Ringo.** **

****Right**** ** **after Ceil Zak'Vael tried in vain to take his soul- and the power that lay within, Loki visited a place similar to the Jotunheim; where he soon meet a large figure in the likeness of one of Odin's ravens.** ** _It looked to be born out of the same light that leaked out of the cracks of his little, glass-like soul that he kept so safely in his pocket from there on out, and what it told him would change everything._

**_"Curses, curses, to you, the monster that survives."_ **

What he had learned was the reason why he eventually returned to Asgard in the cold manner he did, and the reason why he had, at first, tried so hard to ignore their concern and attempts at helping him; because not only did he know that in the end none of it would matter, but because he knew something even worse.

_Each word of the curse was dissected so that Loki would know exactly what he was dealing with- and with the Soul Bird; the very essence of his soul's true power at his side, the true meaning of the verse was revealed, along with the one, sole way of defeating it's malicious purpose._

_But, just as Loki found this truth, the Black Hunt did the unthinkable, and now he had a choice to make._

**" _ **The stars themselves are after you..."**_**

****N._.s._.S** **

****"What**** ****did he tell you?"** **

Banner looked over at him and smiled a little as he quietly shoved his hands into his pockets as Cap came up behind him and put a hand on his tense shoulder.

"The truth," Banner answered, quietly, shrugging Cap's hand off as he stared, almost blankly, into the darkness of the endless tunnels before them, the jade rings around his eyes expanding dangerously as he said it again, his voice just barely rising above his usual softness, "Loki told me the truth."

"Why you?"

"Because," Banner looked back at Cap just as the darkness before them suddenly converged and the skin around the scientist's eyes slowly turned a tell-tale green, "I was the only one who ever bothered to ask nicely."

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ** **he blackness converged around Tony Stark without warning, the moment he'd started to let his guard down, and just as he spotted some commotion down on the street.**** As he started making his decent, it attacked- bringing a very battle-eager Kai'Vael came out of nowhere, jumping out of the darkness above, and very nearly managing to knock Stark out of the air in a single blow.

 _You!_ Kai'Vael snapped as he emerged again from the darkness, silver blade already in hand.

Of course, Stark had the perfect retort to that one.

_"Me!"_

****N._.s._.S** **

**_"You_ ** **_shall be abandoned."_ **

**During** **the course of his various illnesses, Loki felt himself getting closer and closer to the answers he sought after.** _The bird had told him that, as well- it had told him that the anguish he'd suffered in past would tremble and pale before the pain he was in for now. That was part of the Curse, it had said, and the thing about it was, the pain was part of Remus Zak'Vael's design; and he could only face it alone for "the truth" to be revealed._

**" _Those you love will turn their backs,"_**

**He** **could not rely on anyone when the pain took its toll, that was also part of the curse.** _He was forced to rely on his own strength, as much as he could muster despite it weakening as it had towards the end. If he wanted the truth, if he wanted to make his anguish worth something, he had to- no, needed to- endure it silently. He could not show it, and nor could he voice it in any way, or all would be lost._

**" _Even your soul shall damn you in the end..."_**

**And** **even now, he couldn't- even if he wanted to.** _If he did, if he showed weakness of any sort, all would be lost, and all this pain, all this suffering, would have been for nothing._

_That was why, no matter what, he got back up._

_Because that truth was the only damn hope could bear to keep._

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he blade of Lor'Vael's scythe broke the instant it collided with Mjolnir, flinging Lor'Vael with none too little strength at all into the buildings across the street, crashing though glass and wall both.** Thor twirled the mighty hammer through the resounding crashes, and prepared to go after him again when they suddenly stopped, but to his surprise, Loki stopped him by throwing an arm out, effectively blocking his way.

"Wait," His brother said, staring with narrowing, jade-green eyes at the place Lor'Vael had vanished.

"Loki-"

"I said wait."

Just as Thor started to retort, there was a powerful gust of wind, followed by thick black, needle-like bursts of magic. Loki stepped in front of the God of Thunder just as they neared close enough to be dangerous, blocking them all with a single wave of magic colored the exact same shade as his eyes.

 _You've gotten better,_ Lor'Vael said, quietly, as he emerged from the alleyway across the street just as both the green and black magic dissipated, brushing dust out of his hair and off his shoulders as he made his way back toward them, _Tell me, though, isn't it terrifying, knowing that if you loose now... I kill him?_

Loki's eyes flash wide as Lor'Vael stepped over the broken remains of his scythe.

"I won't let you," Loki said, his voice growing deadly low as he slowly took off the black gloves he wore, slipping them into his pocket along with the broken blade of the dagger, "I won't let you take him."

_Then let's see how far you'll go to stop me!_

Everything happens too quickly for Thor to stop- Loki literally shoved him out of the way, against the wall behind them, just as Lor'Vael darted toward them both, ending up fist-to-hand with Lor'Vael just moments later and visibly struggling to keep Lor'Vael from pushing him back.

"Thor!" Loki called over his shoulder as Thor readied Mjolnir for another swing, _"Move!"_

The God of Thunder certainly didn't need telling twice.

With impressive speed and strength that came out of nowhere, Loki managed to swipe Lor'Vael's feet from right under him, causing the Vael to buckle, rendering him pretty much defenseless as the God of Mischief hurled him right into the empty building window behind him, just inches from where Thor had been moments ago.

"You're stronger than you look," Thor told him, approvingly, as Loki stood next to him.

"Shut up, you-"

Before Loki could finish that retort, everything seemed to slow a little as Thor turned to him, still smiling, and blackness swirled from the broken window the building the God of Mischief had thrown the Vael through, and hurtled itself to Loki, hitting him and throwing him backward and through the air.

_"Loki!"_

His brother landed heavily on the ground over twenty feet down the street, and didn't move again.

Thor didn't have time to call out for him again, because before he could say another word, Lor'Vael himself jumped out from the shattered window and tackled him to the ground with unexpected strength for an alien creature with such spindly-looking arms and legs.

Pinned under and unable to reach Mjolnir, which had been flung into the ground when Lor'Vael jumped him, Thor struggled underneath the clear-eyed opponent's grasp, unable to either shove him away or, even with his supposedly _greater_ strength, try to apprehend him.

 _It is of no use, Odinsson,_ Lor'Vael declared, his eyes flashing in dangerous, malicious triumph even as Thor thrashed underneath his grasp, _You are no match for me._

Time seemed to slow as the Vael placed a hand over the God of Thunder's armored chest, his colorless eyes lighting up again as it slowly began to _sink through_ the metal, right before Thor's eyes.

**" _ **A Curse; it's a Curse I summon thus,**_**

**_**A Curse straight from the devil's abyss-"** _ **

**_"No!"_ **

Something large and fast slammed into Lor'Vael's side, and he was thrown far back to the side, landing with a sickening crack into the pavement as another figure darted across Thor's darkening vision.

"Thor!"

Thor's vision pulsed oddly as Loki's thin, tall form slowly came back into view. There was a thin bead of blood running down the side of his face from when he'd been hit by Lor'Vael's spell, but otherwise, besides the usual paleness and thin black lines, he looked unharmed.

"Are you all right?" Loki asked as he helped him unsteadily to his feet, "Thor?"

"I'm fine," Thor assured him, "But what was he doing?"

His brother's thin, dark brows knitted together, and his jade-green eyes narrowed in clear concern, but for some reason, he didn't say a word until Thor finally managed to stay on his feet.

"The last thing I need- the last thing _anyone_ needs right now," Loki amended, quickly, as he slid a hand into his pocket, looking away from Thor, "Is for you to get yourself Cursed, Thor."

He handed Thor the broken pieces of the dagger, along with Barton and Romanov's purple and red souls, still whole and glittering happily in his pale palm, even as he gave them up.

"Loki, why-"

"- So, you need to _be careful_ ," Loki interrupted, sharply, raising his dark brows up at him in an obvious (and very dangerous), _'don't argue with me'_ sort of way, "Will you do that for me... brother?"

Stricken, Thor stared blankly down at the two souls and the broken dagger, and then back up at the God of Mischief, who smiled an odd, wide smile before looking quickly again.

"... Yes, I will." He promised, looking back up at Loki after a long moment of stunned silence.

Loki smiled that damn strange smile again, but this time Thor saw, for the first time, that it didn't reach his eyes. Instead, _tears_ had misted over his brother's jade-green eyes, making them seem brighter and stronger- if only for the moment.

"Good," He answered, softly, "Because I need you with me to the end on this one."

****N._.s._.S** **

****Powerful**** ****winds tore through the waves crashing up against the edge of the bridge, hurling half-frozen droplets of water at the three who stood at the entrance of the Bifrost; waiting for the massive, star-like being that currently enjoyed a silent and completely vigil at the topmost tower of the palace, like a great, second sun in the middle of the day, to make any sign of movement at all.** **

"What is it waiting for?" _Heimdall asked, turning to Axel Hernsson as the Vael slowly lowered his hands, which had been clasped over his chest for some time now, ignoring the water that came dangerously close to splashing over his water-unresistant hide,_ "Why hasn't it moved?"

It is waiting to be called, _Hernsson answered,_ Much like a servant awaiting his master's orders... but it gives off such a strength I've never felt from a Soulless. It's almost as if Loki stole away all his power within his soul and took only what he needed to fight with.

"That would explain his actions... the illnesses, even the pain," Odin agreed, thoughtfully, staring with a narrowed, bright azure eye up at the being that sat perched above his palace, "It would explain everything."

If Loki has been preparing for this moment for the past year, then... _Axel continued, his voice actually lowering in awe,_ He's managed to separate his very being from the Curse! He's accomplished a feat none Soulless before him has ever come close to! He's actually beaten it! He's beaten Zak'Vael's Curse!

 _**"And** _ _**all this because-** _

_**Curses, curses, only to you, the monster that survived."** _

But... _Axel amended, almost mournfully,_ At what a terrible price indeed.

****N._.s._.S** **


	22. Facing Fears

****Chapter Twenty-Two: Facing Fears.  
** **

****"Look them in the eye. They'll remember you."** **

****\- Col. Claus von Stauffenberg.** **

****"Good**** ****, because I need you with me to the end on this one."** **

Unquestionably, that was the most sincere thing Loki had said in a long time- and, pride be damned- it felt good to say it for some reason. It was like some ultimate weight was lifted from his shoulders with those words, like those words had unlocked some dearly-needed strength deep within him, and as it washed over him, revitalizing his weary mind and body, he took a deep breath, and finally broke Thor's (too) shocked, azure eyes.

Before his brother could manage to think of something to say, however, the moment was interrupted by another spear-like barrage of Lor'Vael's powerful black magic.

Loki took a single step forward and countered it all with a single wave of gold, easily dissipating the blackness even inches before it hit the wall of spastic bright light.

 _Looks like you're quite intent on being a nuisance,_ Lor'Vael said, almost excitedly, his voice growing piercingly high as his colorless eyes flashed in clear anticipation for the fight to come, all as he threw out his right arm, palm up, as he readied himself for yet another black magic attack, _Let's play, shall we?_

"Stay back, Thor," Loki warned, with a look back at the God of Thunder, "If you get in the way..."

He didn't need to elaborate what could (or, more likely, would) happen if he interfered, and Thor, for the first time in what could easily have been a lifetime, slowly and unwillingly _stepped aside_ , allowing Mjolnir to melt away from his grasp; making sure to keep his bright, azure eyes on his brother as he did so.

Loki smiled reassuringly at him, but that didn't make the sudden sinking feeling in Thor's stomach stop.

In fact, truthfully, it only made it all the more worse.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Sir!**** **_Hostile on your right!_ **

"I know!" Tony Stark snapped back, as the blurry, black figure of Kai'Vael appeared out of the clouds he'd just flown past, silver blade already out and ready, as he jumped directly out at him, managing to make a clean, neat cut across Stark's armored chest as he passed over him, "Engage target on my order!"

_But sir-!_

"Just do it!"

They were getting dangerously low now. Stark could practically make out Loki fighting Lor'Vael several blocks away (where the hell was Thor?), and then a few buildings from that, could see Hulk and Cap fighting Du'Vael and Xu'Vael. From where he was, he could watch everything.

But, given his current predicament, he couldn't stay for long.

He made a dive along one of the taller buildings just as Kai'Vael got too close, making a beeline for Hulk as he lead his opponent closer and closer to the ground, aiming straight at the behemoth's turned back as he flew at breakneck speed toward him and Cap, still fighting their own enemies.

"Hulk!" He shouted, knowing that Banner wouldn't be able to resist, "Smash!"

And, like he'd hoped, Banner turned, and, at the last second, did exactly what he'd expected- just as Kai got close enough, he snatched him out of the air and slammed the Vael into the ground.

_Boom!_

Kai'Vael didn't stand a chance.

"Are you nuts?" Cap demanded, breathlessly, as Du and Xu'Vael both darted off with their injured partner between them without a second glance back, "You could have got all three of us killed!"

"But I didn't!" Stark declared, victoriously, patting the Hulk's lower arm, "'Cause it actually _worked_!"

"Tony, you didn't even know if it would-"

"Yeah!" Tony exclaimed, breathlessly, raising his fists victoriously into the air, "I really _am_ a genius!"

Cap and Banner exchanged similarly miffed looks.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Thor**** ****had never put too much stock in magic (because he wasn't too good at it himself, and because he could get by with his own strength and prowess without it), but right now; he was thanking his lucky stars- and not to mention whatever Gods he knew, that Loki was so well-versed in the unspoken arts.** **

For this was truly a sorcerer's duel.

He had never seen Loki move so fast, nor had ever realized just how powerful he was when it came to magic. Even with the Curse hanging over his head, even as weakened as he obviously was from it, he could still hold his own against the blackness that, for whatever reason, didn't have a chance in hell of breaching the gold that flowed easily from the God of Mischief's fingertips.

For some reason, unlike Zak'Vael, Lor'Vael didn't feel the need to back himself with harsh words and grandiose movements. He, like Loki now, boldly stood his ground, only moving forward or backward, depending on the strength of his and his opponent's movements.

It was as if, despite all his buster, Lor'Vael actually respected Loki as his adversary- as though he went so far as to acknowledge him for the warrior he was.

As if he, unlike his predecessor, had at least some respect for Loki's Asgardian upbringing.

 _No Asgardian could have taught you such magic,_ Lor'Vael declared, darkly, after narrowly warding off one of Loki's golden waves, _Could you have taught yourself all of this?_

"Your wrong," Loki answered, simply, "My mother taught me."

 _The All-Mother, then? I had the honor of meeting her many centuries ago,_ Lor'Vael nodded once, already summoning another wave, _A proud woman Frigga was- much like yourself, in fact!_

Loki actually smirked.

And so, after that, the battle wore on with renewed vigor, with Thor on the sideline, arms folded tightly across his chest, bright azure eyes never leaving the battlefield, even as Kai'Vael emerged from the dark alley right behind him, silver blade drawn and ready.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Kai'Vael**** ** **hadn't expected the Ironman to be so clever.** ** _Using himself as a distraction while leading him straight into the heavy-handed fists of the green giant... he hadn't even counted for that, so for the first time in living memory, Kai been caught completely off guard by his opponent._

_Lor'Vael would not be impressed._

_He could feel the thick black, leather-like skin on his back cracking a little as he melted away into the alleys with Du and Xu'Vael, toward the battle of their leader._

That looked like it hurt, _Xu said with a dark, derisive chuckle,You fool._

_Kai swore at him._

Knock it off you two, _Du snapped,_ We have to get to Lor.

_Kai doesn't look at either of them as they emerge from darkness yet again, his dark-eyed gaze narrowing a little as they peered over the top of one of the still-standing buildings and spotted their true master and Loki._

It's a sorcerer's duel, _He announced, quietly,_ And a personal one at that. We should not interfere.

Ha! _Xu snorted,_ Why did you summon us for, then?

For a distraction.

_The other two Vael follow Kai's gaze, and Xu whistled in sudden understanding._

_Thor stood, alone and unguarded, his back to them, watching the duel._

Let's move.

****N._.s._.S** **

****If**** ****sneaking up on Thor Odinsson didn't work the first time, how in the Nine Worlds could the Black Hunt expect it to work the second?** **

Granted, he hadn't expected all three of them to attack at once.

The first one who actually managed to slip through his guard was Du'Vael and his spears, which easily tore through his shoulder and arm armor, piercing the skin underneath. Ignoring it, Thor struck back with a mighty blow with Mjolnir, knocking all three of them back with the strike.

Thor looked back at how Loki's duel was going as the three Vael recovered.

The two combatants had apparently realized that a duel of just magic wasn't going to move on at all, and had finally engaged each other for real- Loki had already drawn his own spear, while Lor'Vael had taken up the remains of his scythe, using it as a staff and just barely managing to parry Loki's blows.

It looked like Loki actually had a good chance.

The more Thor watched (as much as he could as the other three members of the Black Hunt weren't too keen on just watching their leader fight, apparently), he could visibly watch something change in his brother as the battle wore on. His movements became more fluid, and his spells brighter and more powerful.

Cap, Stark, and Banner showed up just as his adversaries were starting to gain the upper hand. Cap took Xu'Vael; Stark took Kai'Vael (the latter seemingly fixed on a rematch), while Banner and Thor took Du'Vael.

The sheer bulk of the Hulk was enough to cover them from the two spears, which Thor was thankful for because the wound in his shoulder was actually pretty painful despite it just being a simple flesh wound.

 _They could end this,_ Thor realized, _They had a real chance at ending this, once and for all!_

But, as he was about to find out... nothing was ever that easy.

****N._.s._.S** **


	23. Escape the Fate

****Chapter Twenty-Three: Escape the Fate.** **

**"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy."**   
**\- F. Scott Fitzgerald.**

****It**** ****finally happened.** **

_With an ear-piercing shriek that could shatter glass, the golden bird extended its great, flaming wings and descended from the top of the palace, bursting through the gates and, still giving cries that shook the earth and sky together, flew through the city at breakneck speed, taking no heed of the civilians and soldiers that dived aside in their haste to escape its blazing path._

_While the Asgardians who saw it only stood agape at the creature that came by, the Vael each, in turn, clasped their hands together over their chests, as though the bird was not just some unknown beacon, but something so totally precious to them, that it was a grace by their God to bear witness to it._

Take heed, _Axel Hernsson warned the All-Father and the Gatekeeper as the great, golden creature made its way toward the Bridge,_ Do not unsheathe your blades!

_As the bird reached the sea and the bridge, the water began crashing up violently against the side of the bridge, as it drawn to the very presence of the power so near. It threw itself into the air in mighty torrents, only to be repelled and thrown back in great, crashing waves again._

_It truly looked like a second sun as it got closer and closer, and the air seemed to freeze as it finally approached and suddenly veered to a stop, ending up just feet away from the three waiting at the Bifrost entrance._

_The world around them seemed to come to a total, silent stop as the bird stayed in the air directly in front of them, flapping its powerful wings noiselessly, as if waiting for something._

**"I am eternal."**

_And so, an all-too familiar voice echoed throughout the suddenly empty world, speaking to the core of Asgard itself._

**"I shall never be defeated,**

**I shall never bow my head."**

_It was Loki.  
_

**"I shall never fade,**

**I shall never be forgotten.**

**And so, do not look for me now that I am gone,**

**And dare not mourn.**

**I am not dead this day-**

**For, now and forever,**

**I am free."**

The All-Father himself reached out for the bird as it finished speaking, despite Axel's warning, and actually touched the being's beak.

_It was warm, as though he was touching another person's hand._

_A hand he recognized._

"Go."

_That was all that was needed; with another cry that brought the world back into motion with a sudden jerk, the bird outstretched its gargantuan wings and took off into the air. It flew high above Asgard, into the slowly blackening sky, until it resembled one itself- but just as Odin realized where it was headed, Axel spoke._

All-Father, see what approaches!

_Odin looked toward the Bridge again, and was startled to see two figures slowly making their way across it. Both were very tall and very thin, wearing long black cloaks that billowed at their feet and over their shoulders in the violent wind. They neither looked at nor acknowledged each other in any way, shape, or form as they moved._

It is two halves of a soul in flight, _Axel said, cryptically,_ It is Loki, but not as we know him.

_Odin quickly realized what he meant as the two figures came closer and closer. The one on the right, his right, was Loki when he had seen better days; pale-faced but healthy, without the scars of the Curse marring him, wearing his old armor and carrying his spear. On the left, was Loki's Frost Giant form, blue-skinned and fierce even without armor his companion carried, with piercing crimson eyes that stared right through them._

_The pair stopped walking a fair distance away._

_The Asgardian Loki suddenly smiled, rose his hand chest-length, and waved. His form flickered as he dropped his arm moments later and looked up into the sky. His smile faded a little as the bird called out again, still very easily heard despite its distance away by now, and looked back at them._

**"... I'm sorry."**

_With that, his form flickered from existence._

_That left the Jotun Loki. He straightened his shoulders, and looked up at them defiantly, crimson eyes flashing dangerously as he continued toward them. But as he attempted to close the distance between himself and the three standing before him, his form, too, began to flicker away._

_That persona never said anything, even as it, too, vanished into thin air._

_After it was clear that his son was gone, Odin looked up into the sky for the bird._

_He found, however, much like Loki, it was gone too._

_The world was suddenly too still, too silent... and far too empty._

****N._.s._.S** **

****S**** ** **omething in him was changing- for the better.**** He was getting stronger by the moment. He was moving faster, his magic was more powerful than it had ever been, and he was even just feeling stronger- and it showed with how quickly this battle was turning around.

And Lor'Vael just couldn't keep up.

The clash of their weapons was so powerful now that it cracked the ground at their feet, sending deep quakes beneath the city, shattering the glass windows of the buildings closest to the ground, sending the sharp remnants flying into the air, only to be quickly whipped into nothing but fine, glittering dust by the extraordinary, invisible power in the air alone.

Loki knew what had happened as soon as he felt his soul burning deep into his pocket.

He'd done something to trigger the creature that would liberate the souls trapped by Lor'Vael's Curse.

_It was coming!_

All he needed to do now was push Lor'Vael back a little more...

****N._.s._.S** **

****L**** ** **or'Vael was no fool, and he certainly wouldn't be outdone by a child such as Loki Odinsson.**** Yes, the little half-breed had managed to undo not only his Curse, but was preparing to undo the one looming over Midgard at this very moment; and Lor'Vael, Captain of the Black Huntsmen, would not let that happen.

He would not fail in his mission.

Even if it meant to resorting to playing dirty.

 _Black Hunt!_ He snapped over his shoulder, _Destroy the Soulless!_

Like clockwork, the Hunt moved. Kai'Vael swept Stark's feet from underneath him and blasted him into the air and through the window of a second-story building with a powerful, magical attack from behind; Xu'Vael managed to land a hit on Cap with not one but _both_ of his hammers, which only threw the super-soldier into the ground with ease, but ensured that he wouldn't be moving for some time.

What Du'Vael did was a little more complicated. First, he got behind Banner and stabbed one of his spears into a massive shoulder. When Hulk reeled, Thor came dashing to help his friend, only to be blindsided by Du'Vael, who got through his guard within seconds and got a few hits in with his own two hammers, sending the God of Thunder to the ground as Kai'Vael attacked Banner.

Of course, that meant Banner went down last.

Sort of.

****N._.s._.S** **

****The**** ****moment the Avengers went down, Loki knew he was on his own now, even as he watched Thor out of the corner of his eye, struggling desperately to get to his feet despite having taken such a heavy, underhanded hit.** **

He had to end this, and quick before Lor'Vael decided to go after him.

 _"Coward,"_ He breathed, softly, to Lor'Vael as he stepped out of his reach.

Lor'Vael doesn't answer as he and the other members of the Hunt converged.

****N._.s._.S** **

****St**** ****ark was only unconscious for a few minutes.** **

Okay, maybe a _little_ longer than that.

Anyway, when he woke up, he could still hear the clanging of metal-on-metal, which meant that his friends were still fighting. He stood up a little unsteadily and got to the broken window that he'd crashed through, but it what he saw when he looked up, and not the battle raging below, that stopped him.

"Oh my God."

****N._.s._.S** **

****W**** ** **hen the great, bird collided with the ground, between Loki and the four members of the Black Hunt, time itself seemed to freeze along with the world.**** Like a bomb going off, the creature vanished in waves and waves of violent golden light that spanned across the earth, letting loose with such power that it shook the world with each torrent of gold, easily forcing three of the four members of the Hunt away, into the cover of darkness.

Lor'Vael did not move, save for bending and picking up the abandoned sword of Kai'Vael, twirling it once elegantly in an obvious challenge to Loki.

Loki moved first.

The clash that came soon after was more powerful than any blow that had come before it. It shook the earth, cracked it, sent fissures deep into it's beaten surface, triggering eruptions of water disturbed underneath that quickly flooded the ground at the combatants' feet.

So powerful, in fact, that something else broke.

The golden spear fell noiselessly to Loki's feet, useless.

But it was never noticed.

****N._.s._.S** **

****L**** ****or'Vael tried to jerk the blade from Loki's chest, but the God of Mischief kept a firm grasp on it, keeping it from moving, and with other, he had Lor'Vael's fist planted in his own.** **

_A bead of blood escaped Loki's pale lips, running down his chin and falling to the ground between them._

_Lor'Vael's clear eyes were wide in absolute shock, like he hadn't expected this-_

_Like he'd expected_ anything _but this._

_He'd picked up the blade and jabbed it straight ahead when he attacked, never expecting to actually break the golden spear cleanly in half and pierce through Loki, armor and all, just under his collarbone._

_Gold tendrils wrapped around the two of them during the course of the shocked, tense silence after that, covering them both in a warm, almost protective barrier, preventing the outside world from peering in, the little snake-like things wrapping around the blade, their_

Odinsson, _Lor Vael demanded, softly,_ What have you done?

"What have you done?" _Loki retorted, just as quietly._

_Lor'Vael jerked the weapon again, but it was fruitless._

_Loki stood his ground, and let his bloodied lips curl into a smile._

"What have _you_ done?" _He repeated, quietly, looking up at the sky._ "Look."

_The barrier began to converge, closer and closer, and the gold began to melt away at the top, showing that the black clouds and fog of the Curse, far overhead, were retreating, as if they were being blown away by some gargantuan, invisible fan. And soon, the black, starry night sky had replaced it all._

_I_ mpossible, _Lor'Vael breathed, looking the God of Mischief dead in the eyes,_ This is impossible!

"Nothing is impossible," _Loki answered, as the hand clenching Lor'Vael's slowly unclenched and dropped limply back to his side, as if his body no longer had the strength to obey the mind commanding it to stay put, giving the Vael some small leeway,_ "Nothing ever is. Not even breaking your-"

_Lor'Vael used the slack to yank the blade out in a small shower of bright crimson, tearing the tendrils wrapped around them and causing Loki to collapse. The Black Hunt Captain then swung at him, laying the God of Mischief out on the ground, curled on his side, jade-green eyes open wide in shock and stricken into silence._

_The Vael simply flicked the blade clean and carried it with him as he turned his back on his opponent._

You were a good match for me, _Lor'Vael admitted, shortly, turning his back on Loki,_ But this was always inevitable. You were simply a hindrance to me... you are no God of Thunder, though his brother you may be.

_He vanished as Loki somehow managed to get to his feet, slowly clenching one hand over his chest as he looked up into the sky, as the broken tendrils surrounded him like an embrace, obscurring his broken form from the prying eyes of the world he'd just sacrificed himself to save.  
_

_Loki slowly slid his free hand deep into his pocket, feeling for the familiar, chipped surface of his soul._

_He withdrew it a few moments later, empty._

****N._.s._.S** **


	24. TellTale Shellshock

****Chapter Twenty-Four: Telltale Shellshock.** **

**" **It kills me sometimes, how people die."****

****\- Markus Zusak.** **

****For**** ** **as long as he lived, Thor would never forget what he saw when he finally regained consciousness.** ** _As he finally made it back to his feet, shoving away the warm blackness of unconsciousness and fighting though the near-unbearable pain in his torso and shoulder to stay on his feet; when he looked up, all of that was all but completely forgotten when he saw what awaited him._

_The city was washed in translucent gold. Brilliant tendrils had wrapped themselves over every little thing- around the wheels of cars, around the streetlight poles and broken windows and even just around the street-signs or an empty building sign that had fallen off its hooks during the fight._

_And in the middle of it all, standing in an eerily empty street, was Loki._

_His brother stood surrounded by the thickest part of the golden lights, back turned to him, staring distantly, silently, up into the black, starry sky. One of his hands were clenched tightly over his chest, and the other was lifted up over his head, outstretched toward the stars, and he didn't seem to notice Thor until his brother called out for him._

"Loki!"

_At the sound of his voice, the God of Mischief turned, lowering his hand back to his side. As Thor approached, the golden tendrils began to dissipate into thin air. Loki smiles at him as he turns to face him, and it is then that Thor sees the blood soaking through his shirt and jacket for the first time._

"Thor," _he murmurs, so softly that the God of Thunder almost misses it, looking back toward the sky,_ "I... never noticed... how beautiful the stars were here until just now."

_The bloodstain underneath his clenched hand enlarges, and Thor realizes his brother's shoulders are shaking (either with cold or pain, Thor truly couldn't tell from the distance between them) as he stares up at the sky, and the hand over his chest slowly falls back to his side._

_His knees buckle just then, and Thor barely manages to catch him before he hits the ground._

"Easy... easy, Loki. That's it, breathe..."

_Thor kept his embrace around his brother as tight as he could, slowly lowered them both to the ground, with the God of Thunder giving gentle, encouraging instructions under his breath as Loki attempted in vain to oblige him, slowly closing his eyes and attempting to calm his unsteady, ragged breathing._

_Just as what had happened in the Svartalfheim two years ago, there's blood everywhere. The wound in the God of Mischief's chest was gaping and deep- and Thor knew from last time that it went all the way though, and he unlatched his crimson cape, pressing it as firmly, but as gently as he could, over the terrible wound in a futile effort to stop the blood that was already soaking the ground underneath them._

_Just as he did last time._

"Loki..." _Thor can barely stop the shaking in his voice as he cradled his brother protectively in his free arm, as close as he could get him without making him too uncomfortable,_ "Loki, how... did this..."

_Loki's eyes slowly flutter open again, and he gives a small smile despite the pain he's in, making his already unnaturally bright, jade-green eyes light up, further illuminating the beautiful, but agonized gaze._

"I... I couldn't... let him-"

_Tears the color of watered-down rust slowly begin to cascade down Loki's deathly pale face, and suddenly, his body jerks up and his breathing worsens again as he gave a soft, keening cry._

"Loki!" _Thor said, desperately,_ "Brother!"

_Loki uses his free hand to reach up and grasp Thor's shoulder. His grip is weak, shaking, but he manages to smile again and look up into his brother's eyes, nonetheless._

"I couldn't... let him. Thor, I couldn't..." _Loki breathed, suddenly, gently clasping his pale, shaking hand tightly over his brother's, over the terrible wound, despite the fact that it probably hurts like hell for some damned, no good reason at all,_ "It's better like this... it's better me than..."

_His voice fades off and his hand tightened a little, just as Thor quietly tightened his own embrace._

"No, Loki," _Thor answered him, softly, shifting a little so he could look properly into his brother's painfully bright, jade-green eyes, so he could see how terrible those words were- so he could see how wrong they were,_ "No. This isn't better. This isn't... no... no, Loki..."

"I didn't think... I..." _The God of Mischief's eyes suddenly flicker away from his brother's, to study the blood-flooded ground they're sitting on before turning back again, so terrifyingly dimmer than before,"_ So much blood... I didn't want to... no, not like... this..."

"Stay with me," _Thor pleaded, keeping his voice as strong and confident as he could manage despite his eyes brimming with the inevitable tears as he tightened his grasp over his brother again, keeping his hand firmly over the wound in a futile attempt to stop the flow of blood,_ "Stay with me, Loki!"

"Thor..." _Loki's hand slipped from the God of Thunder's shoulder to the ground noiselessly, and the brothers lock eyes; both brimming with tears,_ "I'm so sorry..."

_As they stared deep into each others eyes; impossibly bright azure meeting weary, but still mischievous jade-green; Loki's labored breathing quietly hitched and finally stopped altogether, and his eyes mercifully rolled back and closed, breaking the gaze for the last time._

_And so, this is how the world ended._

_It ended with not with a bang, not with a blaze of undying glory, not even with one last-minute, defiant gaze or a few cold, memorable words to the darkness that claimed them. It ended with a murmur, a soft, kind smile and a wink of too-bright, jade-green eyes, under a starry black sky that lay, forever now, too far out of their reach._

_It ended with blood pooled on the empty street underneath, covering the shaking arms that cradled him, and with tears running, still hot and fast, burning down frozen, white cheeks._

_It ended in silence, in an absolute, terrible silence, broken only by the stricken sobs of the one man who bore witness to the end-_

_An end that he could only hope would bring about another beginning._

"Thor-!"

_Thor looked up from his brother for the first time in what felt like hours within moments to see Stark, already unarmored, rushing toward him, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw Loki lying enveloped in the God of Thunder's bloodied arms._

"- ... My God."

_The horrified shock in his voice doesn't get even the slightest reaction out of Thor, who slowly looked back down at Loki without a word, tightening his loosened grasp as his vision blurred._

_And then, suddenly, he completely lost it._

_… …_

"Wake up, wake up, wake up...!"

… …

"Wake up, Loki! Don't do this!"

_… …_

_Though he he can barely see though his tears, Thor wipes away the bloody tears frozen on his brother's face with the cleanest edge of the cloak before something finally broke inside, and he collapsed completely into sobs, still pleading for his brother as he embraced him, holding the too-limp, cold body as close as he could possibly get, and barely even noticing as Stark slowly, cautiously knelt next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, saying something the God of Thunder couldn't hear._

_… …_

"Damn it, Loki! Wake up! Please, wake up!"

_… …_

_He had seen that even now, even after death, Loki's brows are still cinched seriously together, and his face is still grave and somber, even without the black, jagged marks of the Curse marring his face, as if even death itself couldn't force peace upon him._

_… …_

"Please, wake up."

"Please."

_The world had ended, but it had refused to take him with it._

****N._.s._.S** **

****"C**** ** **ap!**** Cap, for God's sake, _wake up!_ Cap!"

Steve Rogers' eyes flickered open, and he pushed the stricken, wide-eyed Tony Stark away with an unappreciative groan as he rubbed his temples.

"Stark," he began, but seemed to change his mind as he remembered what had happened, "The others-"

"Cap, listen to me."

For the first time, Cap actually looked at Stark (really looked), and what he saw startled him.

Stark had changed out of his suit, leaving him in a plain t-shirt and jeans. His hands and arms were shaking, and were covered in blood, and the man himself looked scared out of his mind.

"Loki just died."

The world seemed to freeze for a split second as Cap took in those words-

And their meaning.

"What happened?" Cap asked quietly, as Stark helped him to his feet.

" _Fuck_ if I know," Stark snapped, running both badly shaking hands through his hair and brushing it back, not seeming to mind (or notice) the blood that transferred into it from his hands, "When I got there, Thor freaked out. He won't let anyone near the goddamn body, and Banner's not even _close_ to calming him down-"

"Calm down," Cap ordered, seriously, placing both hands on Stark's shoulders, "Where's Thor?"

Stark shoved him off and pointed down the street, where Cap could just make out two figures sitting in the middle of the street, and as Cap passed, Stark leaned against one of the buildings, burring his face into shaking hands, swearing loudly.

_"Dammit!"_

Cap glances back at him, concerned, but Stark refuses to look at him again, sliding down the wall to sit on the ground, burying his face into his knees and stubbornly out of view-

And Steve could swear on his life then that he heard a sob.

"It's all right," He could make out Banner saying, desperately, "Thor, it's going to be all right..."

Thor was sitting quietly in the middle of the street, clinging to something long, thin, and limp. The side of his face is covered in blood, and his shoulders are trembling in obvious grief.

"Thor?" He asked, cautiously as he came up beside Banner, who shook his head,

"He won't answer," It was Banner who answered, looking up over his shoulder at him, dark eyes flashing almost painfully as Cap knelt next to him, in front of Thor, "And thank God you're alive. Tony-"

"Can't handle it," Cap answered, not unkindly, "I know. Go talk to him."

"I want to stay here," The scientist answered, quietly, "I want to help him."

"I know, but you can handle Tony better than I can, Banner," Steve said, putting on his soft, authoritative voice even though it hurt him to do so, because he knew Banner wouldn't argue, "Let me handle this."

Banner's eyes flashed again, but he lowered his head and got to his feet.

"Don't touch Loki," He warned, quietly, "Whatever you do, don't touch him."

"I know."

****N._.s._.S** **


	25. The Aftermath

****Chapter Twenty-Five: The Aftermath.** **

**" **May you be in heaven a half-hour before the devil knows you're dead."****

****\- Garrus Vakarian.** **

****C**** ** **ap had seen people die before- hell, recently he'd even seen someone come back from the dead.**** He'd had excruciating losses of his own; of people he'd loved; of people he _still_ loved, and would always no matter how many decades ago it was. But even knowing all he'd been through, even with all his experience with these kinds of things, absolutely nothing could have prepared him for this one.

Thor had lost his brother in the worst way possible.

Slowly, Cap pulled off his mask and knelt back by the God of Thunder's side. Thor hadn't moved, or even seem to notice, Banner and Cap trade places. He just sat there, soaked through with blood and water, cradling Loki's body as close as he possibly could; pleading near-inaudibly under his breath and shoulders still visibly trembling with pain and grief, eyes shut tight, as if all this was a nightmare he could somehow escape if he refused to look at it.

And for the first time, Cap was totally lost on what to do.

He couldn't- and wouldn't- force his friend to his feet.

But he also couldn't- and wouldn't- just leave him here.

He knew better than that.

All he could do was wait. He knew that even someone as powerful as Thor had limits- and not just physical ones. Cap also knew that like every other being, his body, when it surpassed its limits, would eventually shut down; even if it was completely against his will, and go into a quieter shock while his mind tried to process what had happened and try to make sense of it (and even accept it) while his body rested.

Thor was close to that, Cap could tell. While his grip on Loki never faltered for even a split second, the God of Thunder's eyes were darkening as he inched closer and closer to unconsciousness. Cap shifted quietly so he sat cross-legged next to his friend, peering into them as he watched.

 _"... Don't leave him,"_ Thor finally broke the silence between them, and his eyes flickered to Cap, his voice softer than Cap had ever remembered hearing it, _"Please don't leave him here."_

"I would never leave anyone behind," Cap promised, firmly, "We're not leaving him. Or you."

Thor's eyes flickered back down to Loki, and slowly, they filled again.

 _"I shouldn't have let him come,"_ He said, quietly, _"I should have known they'd..."_

"This wasn't your fault," Cap assured him, placing a hand on the God of Thunder's tense shoulder, finding himself thanking God that his friend was actually trying to talk to him, "It's Lor'Vael's. He's the one who did this."

_"I'm going to kill him."_

There's a real threat to Thor's voice, a real, sudden spastic kind of fury surpassing and almost completely drowning out the anguish that lingered there, and it's enough to send a cold, awful shiver down Cap's spine, but somehow, he can't find it in himself to tell Thor that revenge wasn't going to help ease the pain.

Worried, he chanced a look over his shoulder at Banner and Stark. Stark was still sitting with his back against the wall, but he'd relaxed, staring distantly up into the black, starry sky, while Banner stood next to him, arms folded tightly against his broad chest. They caught each others eyes within seconds, and Cap nodded.

Banner actually smiled back and gave a short, encouraging nod before looking quickly away again.

 _"I swear it,"_ Thor continued, his voice just barely above a deadly, challenging murmur, apparently not having noticed Cap's slightly diverted attention, his eyes lighting up dangerously as he added, quite seriously, _"I'm going to kill him, and the others. They're not going to get away with this."_

"Thor," Cap forced himself to keep his voice low and calm, despite the icy, dreadful shivers still tingling up and down his spine, "You and I both know that won't help."

Thor doesn't answer.

And mercifully, Cap didn't expect him to.

****N._.s._.S** **

****Cap**** ****didn't underestimate anyone too often, but when he did, he kicked himself for not seeing it before.** **

If it weren't for Banner, they never would have gotten Thor out of Boston. Cap was pretty much _over_ a hundred-percent sure that the God of Thunder would have stayed sitting out on that empty, flooded street years from now if Banner hadn't covered him with that blanket and, after he was sure their friend was finally unconscious, gently covered Loki with another, and lifted him right up, despite the blood that still ran through.

"How did you know that would work?" Cap asked him, cautiously, as Banner buckled Loki safely into the seat of the car Stark had summoned all the way from the Tower using JARVIS.

"Because when you're hurt and scared," Banner answered, quietly, with a glance at Stark, who sat slumped in the passenger seat of the second car (the one they'd brought to Boston originally) with his head pressed against the window and covered with a third blanket, "A warm blanket usually goes a long way in making it go away."

Cap didn't argue with that logic.

"I'll take Thor and Loki," Banner said, turning back to Cap, "You take Stark. I've already given both of them something to help them sleep, so it'll be a quiet ride back..."

Banner had managed to, without anyone even noticing until now, bring along a whole kit full of first aid stuff; everything from small bandages (all sizes, of course), cotton swabs and antiseptic, to wraps pins for broken bones, all the way up to full-size blankets and light sleeping meds, which he'd given to both Thor and Stark in order to keep either of them from freaking out (again) on the road.

"... as long as the Hunt don't show up again."

"You think that's a possibility?"

"They might. Think about it, Cap," Banner said, gravely, as he rounded the front of his car, tossing the keys to the other one to Steve as he opened the driver's side door and made to get in, "They just killed one of our own. In my book, that means we're damning diplomacy and preparing for straight-out war now. We've got to look at his from every angle, and if that means assuming the worst, then that's what we'll do from here on out."

Cap looked back at Stark, and sighed in defeat as Banner slammed the car door and turned the ignition with a roar loud enough to pierce the darkness that was beginning to descend over the silent, still-empty city.

Overhead in the distant horizon, the clouds swirled, angry and black, promising another storm yet to come.

****N._.s._.S** **

****F**** ** **or Cap, the drive back was, thankfully, entirely uneventful.**** Stark stayed asleep for the entire five-hour drive; giving the other man time to think out a new strategy, plan out what they were going to do next, because from his view, Banner had voiced exactly what he'd been thinking-

Perhaps what they'd all been thinking.

Loki may not have been part of the team, and hell; he was once their enemy, but he had been on their side, he fought alongside them (and saved all their lives, not to mention the billions of souls he'd sacrificed himself to free from Lor'Vael's Curse), and that made him, officially or not, one of them.

They just killed one of our own.

And by killing him, the Hunt really had declared war.

In my book, that means we're damning diplomacy and preparing for straight-out war now.

Cap didn't like the way Banner said that, if only because it went against his own beliefs; but that was, essentially, what was about to happen. They weren't going to try to negotiate, or talk the Black Hunt down again.

They were going to stop them.

**N._.s._.S**

**When **Loki Odinsson woke, he lying on the ground, surrounded by white.** ** _He'd been here several times before, of course, but this time, instinctively, he that he would be alone._

_Oddly enough, there was no pain; and when Loki touched what should have been the gaping wound that Lor'Vael had dealt him, he found that that, too, along with the scar Algrim had given him, was gone. He sat up, brushing back his shoulder-length, dark hair and staring, stricken, up into the infinite whiteness._

_He'd died for real this time- he was sure of it. The last thing he remembered before the world slowed and the blackness and pain consumed him (just as it had happened when he was killed in Svartalfheim), was Thor. His brother had held him and tried to stop the bleeding._

_But it hadn't worked._

**"Wake up, wake up, wake up...!"**

_The voice startled him, and Loki looked back up, bright jade-green eyes widening as he recognized it._

**"Wake up, Loki! Don't do this!"**

_Was that Thor shouting like that?_

_Loki clenched at he place on his chest where his wound should have been when he heard a shuddering, heart-wrenching sob. There had been a lot of blood- Loki hadn't expected that much blood; and he knew he'd likely bled out before he died, all while his brother helplessly watched._

**"Damn it, Loki! Wake up! Please, wake up!"**

_Worse, he also knew that he'd been looking his brother in the eyes when he died._

**"Please, wake up."**

_Slowly, Loki covered his mouth to keep from crying out with the sobs that followed. Thor sounded so wounded, so hurt, that the God of Mischief could practically feel the pain rolling off those words in waves. Something in him clenched painfully and he slowly lowered himself back to the ground, closing his eyes._

**"Please."**

****N._.s._.S** **

****B**** ** **anner was careful not to slam the door of the car as he got out, taking deep, grateful breaths of fresh air as he stumbled against one of the closest cement support beams.**** The drive had left him physically and emotionally exhausted, and because he'd Hulked out, that only added onto everything he was feeling.

Several times, every two hours or so, he radioed in to Cap and they stopped onto the side of the road so Banner could breathe fresh air. He leaned against the side of the car, looked up into the black, stormy sky that promised a storm, trying to clear his mind; forcing himself not to think at all.

Of course, that didn't work all that well.

Even in his sleep, Thor shifted uncomfortably, muttered, and even cried out for his brother. Luckily, his outbursts didn't translate into brushes with lightning or thunder, but several times, Banner could have sworn he'd heard or seen it out in the distance, which had only worsened his nerves the whole way back.

"Banner?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Banner looked up. Stark was finally awake again, and despite the dark, tired look in his eyes and the few cuts and scrapes he'd gotten during the battle, he looked relatively fine.

"How are you feeling?" Stark asked him with a lopsided smile.

Banner and didn't bother answering. Stark turned back to Cap.

"We're taking Loki to the Med Bay," Stark told him, folding his arms across his chest, refusing to look the other man in the eyes, "We'll keep him there until Thor... decides what he wants to do."

"And Thor?" Banner asked.

"The same. We're all beat up and need treatment. I've already got Fury on the line with JARVIS," He added, somewhat bitterly, to Cap, "S.H.I.E.L.D's probably going to want to know that Loki just died doing our job."

****N._.s._.S** **


	26. Give & Take

****Chapter Twenty-Six: Give & Take.** **

**" **If things seem under control, you're just not going fast enough."****

****-** ** **Mario Andretti** ****.** **

****"I** ** ****think this is the first time we've actually had someone killed."** **

"Tony, so help me, I will stick you with another needle."

"Come on," Stark protested, even under Cap's dead-serious stare, "Hear me out on this- _ow!"_

The soldier stuck him with a needle while their doctor's back was turned.

"That's what happens when you flail about like that when you're getting stitches."

Banner rubbed wearily at his eyes as he expertly ignored the bad-tempered banter, chancing a glance up at Fury, who sat quietly by the door of the Med Bay, arms folded and staring, almost thoughtfully, at the curtained bed the furthest from the others, which concealed Loki's body, covered in white sheets, from view.

The scientist himself had flat-out refused treatment for his shoulder when they asked, but he'd pretty much forced Stark and Cap to get checked out for their own, citing Stark's shock and Cap's exhaustion from the fight. Of course, they argued, but Banner was in no mood to start a fight- a quick warning and a few evil, threatening glares was enough for them to back off and do as he'd asked.

Predictably, though, Thor was still unconscious- and he showed no sign of getting up anytime soon. Banner had brought him up personally, much to the ire of Fury and his goons. He was relieved to find that the God of Thunder had managed to avoid any serious injuries other than the slashes on his shoulder and abdomen, which were already healing relatively well on their own for the most part, so Banner only had to clean and bind them.

But as of yet, no one had even dared mention Loki.

Lucky for them, JARVIS had broke the news of Loki's death before they'd even managed to carry either of them to the Med Bay (Banner took Loki up first before he and Cap took Thor up together) Banner actually had to physically threaten the agents they'd met along the way to stop them from taking Loki; telling them they'd have the full wrath of the Avengers, Thor (and probably Asgard too) if they so much as thought about touching him.

Fury called them off before anyone could make good on the threat.

_What you're telling me is kind of hard to believe._

_Believe it, Fury. It's the truth._

"JARVIS, get me all the surveillance vids from Boston," Stark said, and Banner turned back again to find that the good doctor had finished cleaning binding his wounds, and that he was already pulling back on his t-shirt as he moved for the door, "Get into feeds, into police cams, everything you can get into."

_Of course, sir._

"Anyone need me," Stark paused as he opened the door, giving Fury a long, almost daring look before looking over his shoulder, back at Banner and the others, "I'll be in the lab."

"Tony, what are you doing _now-?"_

Cap stood up just as the door slammed shut.

"Don't go after him," Banner warned, as Cap made to get up as well, "Let him do what he wants to do."

Cap glared at him, but his eyes softened significantly when he glanced over Thor's and Loki's beds, and he gave a barely-audible sigh of defeat as he slowly sat back down.

"Fine."

Banner turned back around and rubbed his eyes again before speaking again.

"He saw what happened to Loki," He said, quietly, "Stark watched it happen."

Both Fury and Cap looked back at him. Banner doesn't bother to turn to them.

"After the rest of us were beaten, Stark regained consciousness first after being thrown into that building. He said that after the gold bird came down- don't ask me what that means- Lor'Vael stabbed Loki in cold blood and then turned his back on him," Banner paused to take a breath, but still doesn't turn as Fury got to his feet while Cap just sits there, looking utterly stunned, "But by the time he could move again, he tried to go down there to help, but Thor got to Loki first. Stark made it there just in time for Loki to die and Thor to _'freak out'_ on him."

Banner could almost watch it all play out before his eyes, right there on the reflection of the glass, as he explained it. He could watch Stark crawl to the window and watch helplessly as Loki was stabbed, forcing himself to his feet while weighed down by the suit, tearing it off as he ran as fast as his wounds would allow when he realized Loki wasn't getting up, only to find Thor had beaten him to it.

And then watch a meltdown.

"He isn't going to be happy when he wakes up," Fury states, nodding over at Thor, "Have we already decided what we're going to be doing with the body?"

"We're not doing anything with Loki," Banner snapped, making the older man jump at the sudden, fierce protectiveness in the scientist's voice, "It's not our call."

_That's a very wise decision on your part, Dr. Banner._

The voice is bold and cut unnaturally through the air, and it grabbed the attention of all three men instantly, and they turn to find a Vael with startlingly bright, maroon eyes, wearing a long white, hooded robe, standing at the door; with none other than Tony Stark standing next to him, wearing an odd, lopsided grin.

In less than a heartbeat, Cap and Fury were up, Fury already reaching into his long, black trench-coat pocket for the pistol they all knew was hidden inside.

 _Please,_ The Vael said as he lowered the hood of his white robe, _There are more Vael than those in the Black Huntsmen. Besides, had I wanted to kill you all, I would have done so without bothering to announce myself._

"And who're you?" Fury retorted, as Stark moved inside the room, arms still folded across his chest, to stand next to Cap, placing a hand on Cap's shoulder to stop him from trying to approach the Vael.

 _My name is Axel Hernsson,_ Axel answered, matching his tone to Fury's curt one and gesturing to the two curtained beds, _I have come to take the two Odinsson back to Asgard._

"Like hell you are."

Axel Hernsson doesn't react beyond quietly folding his arms primly behind his back as Fury stepped up, already calling for backup through the comm in his ear despite Stark's warning glare.

 _Attempting to arrest the Honored Lord of the Vaelhiem for simply coming to assist you isn't exactly a smart idea,_ Axel warned, _I refuse to come quietly; nor will my people, or Asgard, take too kindly to such an insult._

"Wait," This time, Stark finally spoke up. He grabbed hold of Fury's gun-hand and forced his arm down, "He's not our enemy, Fury. Detain him, and we'll be in another war before he even escapes."

Fury glared at Stark, but incredibly, he slipped the gun back into his coat.

Stark turned back to Axel when it was clear the Director would not threaten him again.

"What happens if we let you take them?"

"Tony," Cap began, warningly, "You can't just-"

 _Then I simply return to Asgard with them,_ Axel interrupted, with a daring look at Cap as he added, quite seriously, _The All-Father wishes to ensure that Thor receives the care he needs, and Loki the burial he deserves._

"And if we don't?"

_I return to Asgard and let Odin deal with this himself._

"Well then, I don't want to piss him off," Stark said, with a glance over at Cap, "Do we?"

"We're not just taking his word on it," Cap answered, defiantly, "The Black Hunt almost killed us all. If it weren't for Loki, Earth would have been long gone by now."

 _It is not my fault you underestimated your enemy. I'm just here to ensure that neither Odinsson suffers more for it... And_ _besides,_ He added, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the two, red and purple souls that they all instinctively knew belonged to Romanov and Barton _, I assume you want these back?_

"You're threatening us now?" Cap demanded, incredulously, "How can you expect us to trust-"

 _It is beneath me to argue with you, Steve Rogers,_ Axel answered, stowing the two little souls back into his cloak, _It seems as though threats are the only way I'll get through to you- so; either release the Odinsson to me, or I'll ensure personally that these two souls wither in return for it._

"You don't have to threaten or insult us," Banner finally spoke up, lifting himself off the wall and moving quickly past Stark, Rogers, and Fury as he approached Axel, dark eyes flashing dangerously with a ring of jade as he added, quite solemnly, without looking back at the small group behind him, "Take them."

And that was that.

****N._.s._.S** **

****A**** ** **ll that Axel Hernsson needed to do was simply touch Thor and Loki to make them vanish into thin air.**** Vael magic was different from all other magics of the Nine Realms, of course, and Axel Hernsson was no stranger to it, rivaling some of the best sorcerers in documented history.

 _Done,_ He stated, turning back to Banner, _Your cooperation is appreciated._

He handed the two souls he'd stowed in his pocket to him.

 _Keep these warm and dry,_ He instructed, shortly, _They'll return to you sooner if you do._

"Thank you," Banner answered, politely, with a small smile, "Will they be okay?"

_I know not how strong these two souls are, Banner, but perhaps so, in the end._

"I meant Thor and Loki."

At that, Axel's eyes brilliant, maroon eyes flashed.

 _Thor has taken such heavy blows before, and has always miraculously recovered; and so that may be again this time,_ He stated, slowly, staring down at Banner with a now intensely curious look in his eyes, _But the same cannot be said for Loki. While his soul was saved from the Curse by his own sacrifice, he now must face judgment from a higher, divine power. I cannot say with certainty what our God of Mischief's deserved fate will be._

"He saved more lives than he took." Banner countered, "He did good."

 _Good or bad, that doesn't matter,_ Axel answered, firmly, _No scales of 'right or wrong' exist for our actions. We will be judged for our reasons behind them, not by some misguided society's classification._

"Misguided?" That drew Cap into the conversation, looking over his shoulder and breaking off his conversation with Fury, who looked similarly insulted with the Vael's statement.

 _I do not mean that as an insult._ Axel shook his head and drew his long bangs back, turning to look over at Cap, _Your society, simply enough, draws in on morality and converges it with higher beings, and harshly judge that which was never yours to judge. Your kind forms their own, individual opinions on what is right and wrong- with right with good and just, and with various interpretations of heaven; and contribute wrong with bad, evil and an eternity of suffering in hell, and categorize each other within these two strict confines, ignoring that no action is either completely wrong or right- that there is a gray area to every man's actions that can never be truly judged._

It was with those words that they all realized just what sort of being they were dealing with. Axel Hernsson was not only not of Earth (obviously), but had spent many years, perhaps even centuries, watching humanity grow, witnessing the patters, the good and the bad, passing a whole different kind of judgment of his own.

Axel was certainly kind of a jerk, but was this how they looked to the other realms, to everyone else?

Or, worse yet, to Thor?

Loki?

Cap and Banner traded terrible, deeply concerned looks, and after shifting his gaze between them for a few moments, Axel shook his head, averting his abnormally large, bright maroon eyes away from them, out the wall-sized window, pitch black, empty, and soaked by the storm brewing outside.

 _Your people are young; Humanity has accomplished many wondrous things in the few millennium you have existed aside from the faults that lay, perhaps inbred, into your societies, and the Nine Realms will certainly, wholeheartedly acknowledge this when the time comes,_ He assured them, almost kindly, when he turned back to them a few moments later, _But you still have much to learn yet._

****N._.s._.S** **

****"How is he?"** ** _Odin's voice is low and quiet as the old All-Father approached Sanat Eir, who sat tense-shouldered and silent just outside Thor's quarters, head bowed, arms crossed, and eyes shut tight, as though trying to will silent the very audible shouting and smashing from the other side of the bolted door._

"Not good," _Eir answered, after a long silence,_ "I fear that Thor has so lost himself in his grief, that not even gentle Jane's voice may bring him back from that black abyss for a while yet."

_In the distance, thunder roared and lighting flashed over the endless, violent sea; as black, stormy clouds shrouded the whole of Asgard in an infinite, maddening darkness- a darkness that not even the sun, moon, nor stars could hope to break._

****N._.s._.S** **


	27. Lightning Strikes Twice I

****Chapter Twenty-Seven: Lightning Strikes Twice I.** **

****"With these hands, I shook the heavens to the ground; I laid the gods to rest."** **

****\- Andy Biersack.** **

****When**** ** **Loki Odinsson woke again, he was instantly swallowed by an infinite scope of blackness.** ** _Jade-green eyes blinked, and Loki slowly ran a hand over his own shoulder and pinched leather and skin; and the sharp nick that instantly followed told him that he had not yet, in fact, entered Helheim._

_But, before Loki could wonder where he'd ended up this time, he heard a violent cackle behind him, followed by a flash of painfully bright azure, which startled Loki; though he found that he was rooted to his spot as it thunder howled overhead again, this time sending a crack of lightning down, directly in front of him._

What's the matter, scared of a little lightning?

_Loki was never afraid of Thor._

_Another bolt came down, and this time, Loki was prepared for the violent roar, and could feel the static prickling up and down his spine in waves as it hit the ground behind him. Loki looked over his shoulder just as the lightning fizzled out, and he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding._

I'm not overly fond of what follows.

_When they were younger, he'd watched Thor practice (the rare times he did); mesmerized by the lightning his brother could summon by will- though later, he watched only by some distance where he wouldn't be spotted._

_The blackness seemed to converge outward as Loki stared upward, waiting for the next strike._

_After all, lightning always strikes more than twice._

****N._.s._.S** **

****When**** ****Axel Hernsson returned to Asgard, there was so much flooding from the storm at hand that he had to rely on Heimdall to get him back to the palace without getting himself killed.** **

_Of all the things I have to worry about, now I have to add 'death by water' on top of everything,_ Axel remarked, dryly, as they reached the palace gates, _What a strange world we live in._

Heimdall actually smirked.

The storm that Eir had predicted would happen at Loki's death long ago seemed to have finally come through. The clouds above were pitch black and angry, swirling dangerously above the world as if daring the golden city below to question its purpose.

**"As Laufey's bloodkin, the _Immortalization Storm_ at his passing should rival that of those from olden history."**

Axel hurried up the passageway, careful to keep his white cloak tight over his shoulders and his hood up as he made his way toward the stairwell, passing soaked, shivering guards and the Warriors Three.

 _Odin and Eir?_ He dared ask Sif as Fandral wrung out his emerald cape, _Where are they?_

"Thor's quarters," The woman answered, shortly, without looking at him.

 _I daresay you got your wish,_ Axel told her, shrewdly, _Should you not celebrate at this storm?_

There were several shocked gasps from a few people around them, and with that, Axel turned sharply on his heels moved along, despite the wide-eyed, stricken look Sif shot after him.

**"And it should have picked up immediately after he died, especially if he were as strong as we thought."**

Axel found Odin and Eir exactly where Sif had told them they were. Both were standing outside the door to Thor's quarters, and as he approached, he could hear shouting, growing louder and louder.

 _Does he mean to tear the sky down over our heads?_ Axel asked them, quite seriously, as he approached, _This clash of Jotun and Asgardian wills has not been seen since the end of the Thrice War._

"I agree; the last time something like this happened, it was when Borr and Laufey fought the last time, millennium ago," Sanat Eir said, throwing a glance at Axel, "If Thor and Loki's storms collide here, as well as in Midgard, then the devastation in both Realms will be colossal."

Odin didn't appear to have heard either of the comments. His one good, bright azure eye remained on the door, as if staring at something the other two couldn't see, before suddenly turning again and moving past the old medic and the Honored Lord, making his way down the corridor.

"So be it," He declared, quietly, heading back downstairs.

Eir and Axel traded startled looks, and Eir grimaced as he quickly hurried off after Odin, leaving the Vael as the only one still remaining outside the door.

Axel raked his long, dark fingers through his hair in clear exasperation, shoving the bangs back out of his eyes, but as he began to slowly make his way down the corridor as well, something bright and gold flashed out the corner of his eye, making him turn back again.

There was nothing there.

But Axel's brilliant, maroon eyes narrowed nonetheless.

****May the Gods grant you peace, wayward soul.** **

****N._.s._.S** **

****No**** ****t many were capable of standing up against the God of Thunder's fury.** **

The first and foremost of these select few, of course, was Loki; he could fold his arms, roll his eyes, and stand firm, fearlessly even as he watched Thor flip tables and bring down wave after wave of lightning and roaring thunder both, all while he waited patiently, silently, for the storm to be over, when it was safe to offer his sincere advice- which, naturally, usually meant causing some well-deserved mischief or another.

Another was Odin- he could shout along with the best of them, and often when he and his eldest clashed (which was often in the later years) both would go hoarse from arguments that shook the halls of Asgard itself, and that would usually be the end of it, with everything going back to normal the next day.

Then there was Frigga, who could calm even the most violent storm with her kindness and patience.

The most recent addition to the list was Jane; who was Thor's lone voice of reason now, what with the losses of Frigga and now Loki again. She could calm a storm faster than Frigga could, all while standing her ground and offering advice, and often arguing right back when the situation demanded it.

But now, even she was at a loss.

That was because Thor wasn't arguing with her.

The whole thing had happened so quickly, absolutely no warning at all.

Axel had brought Thor and Loki both back from Midgard as Odin asked (or maybe ordered) him to, after Heimdall reported what had happened. From what Axel could tell when arrived, Loki had indeed manage to break his Curse, but sacrificed himself at the last second to stop Lor'Vael from implementing the one over Midgard.

Loki's body was in the Med Wing, exactly where Eir had carried it after the body appeared at the Bridge, where Axel had sent it (on another one of Odin's "requests") laying covered by a sheet in that eerily silent, still room while Odin and the others figured out what should be done with him.

But they couldn't decide that without Thor.

Thor, on the other hand, had finally woken up as the clouds had begun to shift together and darken, threatening the storm to come. Jane had been sitting at his side, waiting for him to wake so she could head off any "freak-outs" (Axel had called ahead hours ago to let Odin know how Thor had reacted to Loki's death), but when the God of Thunder woke, he simply stared blankly up at the ceiling, not awake despite regaining consciousness.

Eir had come in at that point, peering into dim azure eyes before shaking his head and drawing back again.

 _"There's nothing I can do,"_ He said, somberly, _"This is a battle he must fight alone."_

So, Jane waited for hours, as the storm outside began. At first, it was a light, windless shower, but as time goes on, the wind picks up and the world outside grows colder, darker, until it seemed that the palace had been swallowed into a world of darkness. The rain, icy and burning at the same time, easily began to flood through the streets of the city below as the clouds grew ever darker and darker.

And at the second clap of lightning coloring the sky in blooming azure, Thor slowly sat up.

Jane tried to keep him from getting up, but no matter what she said, Thor didn't listen. His eyes were still dim and lost; as though he were simply sleepwalking, as he'd done on a number of occasions in the past year.

The wind howled a baleful tune as Thor quietly opened the door leading out to the balcony, despite Jane trying to pull him back the whole time and stepped outside.

They were mostly protected by the cutting hail thanks to the roof that shielded the balcony, but that didn't mean they were strangers to the biting, almost vindictive wind and torrents of rain. As they stood out there, Thor suddenly shook Jane away as he summoned Mjolnir and stepped up onto the concrete railing, already twirling the mighty hammer as he prepared for something.

_"Thor!"_

The lightning that came down next never connected to the ground; and thank Gods for that, for the blow Thor summoned was almighty, shaking the earth and sky as it jutted jaggedly through the swirling blackness with a blazing azure that lit up the entire city.

Thor shouted something Jane couldn't hear over the booming thunder.

The next strike connected far out in the sea, and even from where they stood, Jane witnessed the sea hurling with the force of the blow, blooming out upward, high into the air, only to come crashing down with yet another strike from the heavens, zapping again and again, blow after blow.

As the water showered back into the sea the fifth or sixth (seventh?) time, Thor shouted something else, something Jane could hear even over the howl of the wind, battering of the hail and rain, and booming of thunder.

_"- you hypocrite!"_

Cold dread began to fill the gaps in the already thick, terrorized air, and thunder boomed once again as Thor summoned yet torrent of lightning, striking deep in the sea, far away from the city, but still so visible to all; as he continued shouting up at something- or, perhaps someone- only he could see.

_"I could have helped you!"_

He was talking to Loki (or at least shouting at something he perceived as him, more like), and Jane felt herself slowly backing up against the wall of the balcony, against the door, and sliding down it, staring up at the black sky, watching the brilliant jagged lines of lightning crossing them, as she listened to Thor's rant.

_"You didn't have to be the hero!"_

At that one, thunder roared again, almost in protest, and the lightning came down again in another violent drove of wicked azure light, this time dangerously close to shore.

_"I trusted you!"_

****N._.s._.S** **

****"L**** ** **ook at that storm,"**** Stark said, quietly, looking up from his work for the first time in hours as another strike of lightning boomed down toward the city, lightning up the flooded streets, "You think it's Thor?"

"Yes. Patterns match up with what we've seen with Mjolnir..." Banner spoke up from his corner, sounding more than a little awed as he got up from his seat and putting down his book as yet another streak came down and lit the city up again in a single, powerful azure strike, "Look at that. At this rate, we'll be lucky to have a city for anyone to come back to."

"Axel said the storm was caused by Loki," Cap reminded them, mildly, though he'd been watching the storm longer than anyone; leaning against the locked balcony doors, watching the wind rip through buildings and tear apart the shoreline as the thunder reigned in the horizon, "Part of what happens when someone like Loki dies for real."

"Why can't it be both?" Stark answered, shortly, before turning back to work again, "Loki may be causing the storm, but Thor might be fighting it. Throwing wild punches at the rain, like he thinks it'll help bring him back."

Banner and Rogers threw each other furtive, dark looks as Banner sat back down, returning to his book, as the other man returned to watching the storm tear apart the city.

****N._.s._.S** **

****The**** ****city was flooding.** **

_Heimdall was forced to leave the Bifrost hours ago, when the sea rose up against the bridge. He and the few other Asgardian and Vael warriors standing guard there just barely made it out alive before the rainbow bridge disappeared into the murky depths of the water._

_The civilians who had managed to take shelter before the storms hit in force were now trapped in their own houses as the water rose higher and higher, while people still on the outside rushed for higher ground. The Warriors Three, backed by Sanat Eir and a team of medics, worked furiously to save as many as they could._

_In the chaos, no one noticed as a tall, narrow figure quietly making his way toward the palace._

**N._.s._.S**


	28. Lightning Strikes Twice II

****Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lightning Strikes Twice II.** **

****"With these hands, I shook the heavens to the ground; I laid the gods to rest."** **

****\- Andy Biersack.** **

****L**** ** **oki didn't exactly understand why he could slip past everyone without being seen; or why no one seemed to notice him at all as a matter of fact, but as it turned out, that was the least of his problems at the moment.**** He hadn't meant to set off a storm of this magnitude. Of course, he'd known about the Immortalization Storm from the very beginning, but until now, he'd carelessly written his Jotun self off as irrelevant; never imagining it- and through it, _himself_ \- could ever have been capable of such destruction.

Though he knew he couldn't have done anything to prevent this storm; and worse, could do nothing to help now, Loki still felt guilty as he watched his former friends and the old Medic scrambling about like madmen, saving the victims of the storm that would mark the end of his life.

Once or twice though, he witnessed Sanat Eir staring directly at him, dark, steely gray eyes narrowed and heavy brows cinched together; but before he could actually confirm that the old ex-general and medic somehow could see him when nobody else could, Eir would look quickly away again. The same went for several of the Vael who were braving the floods to help- often their eyes, large and bright, would flash directly at him, but before he could either meet them or even confirm it, they were gone again.

Loki made it into the palace without any incident. Since Eir and the Warriors Three were still out in the storm, he obviously didn't have to worry about running into them again. As he approached the gargantuan doors of the throne-room, however, he spotted Odin and Axel.

The Honored Lord of the Vaelhiem looked exasperated about something or other, as insinuated by how his arms were folded tensely against his broad chest and his maroon eyes were flashing as he spoke.

_There isn't time. Your people must be evacuated from the lower cities._

"I've already given the order," Odin assured him, with a nod, "Yours, on the other hand, will remain?"

 _Death by water,_ Axel muttered, irritably, _As if I didn't have enough to worry about already._

"Your soldiers are no doubt courageous, to face a storm such as this."

 _I refuse to see my warriors hindered by a little water,_ Axel answered, seriously, as Loki slowly crept by, half-hidden in the darkness, and the Vael's maroon eyes flashed again, this time more powerfully, _They will stand strong, together, no matter their adversary, as they have done for millennium._

"A noble gesture..."

Axel's eyes never left Loki, and suddenly Loki felt compelled to stop, to stand before him, invisible to all but the King of the Vaelhiem, as though the King had something to offer him.

**_You are worthy to live your life._ **

Odin hadn't expected to hear the powerful voice, resonating through the empty halls, and followed Axel's gaze, only to look upon naught but an empty wall. He returned his one good, bright azure eye to the King and it narrowed as Axel continued, completely ignoring the concerned, cautious gaze of the All-Father.

**_I grant you peace by thus,_ **

**_A blessing on the word of the Honored Lord;_ **

**_I grant you life, wayward soul._ **

Something in the air seemed to shift, and as suddenly as it happened, Axel turned away, tossing up his white hood as he strode quietly past Odin, as though nothing had happened. He was near across the hall before he turned back, voice cheerful and no longer so resonant.

 _I am going to join my soldiers,_ He said, _What say we show them how to stop a storm, All-Father?_

Odin stared at Axel for a long, stricken moment before slowly turning back to where the Honored Lord had been looking, clearly intent on finding out whom (or what) he'd been speaking to, and by the way his eyes suddenly lit up in both shock and wonder; Loki knew almost instinctively that Odin could now see him too, standing there in the half-light of the door, cross-armed and tense.

Surprisingly enough, however, the All-Father didn't say a word. He simply gave Loki an almost kind, short nod before simply turning on his heel and following Axel out of the palace. As Odin passed him, Axel turned back at the last second to call a rather cheerful warning over his shoulder.

 _Heads up, Odinsson,_ He said with what might have been a wink, _Thor is in his quarters._

****N._.s._.S** **

****Axel**** ** **Hernsson was three-thousand, seven-hundred and sixty-eight years old, respectively.** ** _That meant that he'd not only witnessed Borr's rise to power, but had been personally involved in the Thrice War from beginning to end. Like ex-General Sanat Eir, Axel Hernsson had been greatly appalled and angered with the horrific abuses he witnessed between all three worlds; but unlike the medic, who would defend Asgard's honor if asked, he actually did not take his people's side, and would freely, almost gladly, admit so._

_Axel's own father, Lord Hern, was actually one of the many opponents of the war, rightly believing that Lords Actaeon and Ceil Zak'Vael both had been goaded into war by the Councilors. A Councilman himself, Hern tried in vain to stop the war, but it resulted in his untimely death by Curse by an unknown assassin; which resulted in Axel taking up the reins of protest in his father's stead- but before he could begin to reason with them, the Thrice War had ended with the Vaelhiem's banishment from the other Nine Realms._

_Fortunately, all was not yet lost. Determined to head off his fellow Councilmen in the future, knowing they had learned nothing, Axel knew that he had to convince the younger generation of their people's treachery in order to prevent another War from happening, and that meant when Remus Zak'Vael was born, he had to get to him before the other Councilors, and the Honored Lord, could instill hatred of the Aesir and Jotun._

_In the Vaelhiem, the Honored Lord's children are often brought up by a number of people, everyone from, naturally, the King himself, to the best tutors, generals, and other advisers deemed worthy of the honor. Axel happened to be one of those granted permission to tutor Ceil Zak'Vael for his talent on the field of battle (he'd been a General in the Thrice and had won several low-key battles) and he decided to secretly show the boy the horrors of what really happened during the Thrice War; gradually managing to deafen the boy to the unsuspecting Councilmen who would have him believe that the Vaelhiem had been an innocent target, when in fact the opposite was true._

_Remus was, however, was pulled into his father's plan of murdering the adoptive son of Odin when they learned of Loki's true heritage; which would probably result in War. There was nothing either of them could do about that; but Remus was far more daring than Axel imagined and often gave him credit for._

_It was Remus who came up with a totally different plan than the one his father set out for._

****N._.s._.S** **

****Loki**** ****could hear the thunder crashing even as he made his way up the stairwell.** **

From the moment his plan had come into fruition, Loki knew that his brother would be upset over his death; Loki _expected_ the anger, the pain. But he had never imagined the sheer violence of the storm that came with it- Thor was literally, _literally,_ throwing wild punches into the rain.

It was almost funny, in a screwed up, terrible way.

The God of Mischief had very rarely been inside Thor's quarters, even when they were children- and, obviously, vice-verse. Loki had always imagined it messy, and the few times he'd been in here years ago, usually wasn't disappointed. But when Loki went in this time, he found it spotless; and for some reason, that disturbed him.

Lightning bathed the entire room in azure as Loki crept across it toward the balcony, where he could see Thor standing, Mjolnir lifted high above his head. Jane sat quietly, back against the wall nearest him, knees drawn up to her chest and shaking, thoroughly soaked from the storm.

When she didn't move, Loki knelt and shrugged off his cloak, drawing it over the poor girl's shoulders before standing back up, and shouting above even the booming thunder his brother summoned.

_"Thor!"_

****N._.s._.S** **

****"Curses, curses, to you, the monster that survives.** **

****The stars themselves are after you,** **

****You shall be abandoned;** **

****Those you love will turn their backs,** **

****Even your soul shall damn you in the end.** **

****And all this because-** **

****Curses, curses, only to you, the monster that survived."** **

This was the finished Curse that Remus decided to use. _It was aimed directly at Loki's Jotun self, not his Asgardian self- and they had to be extremely careful to make that clear; because if one word was out of place, if a single part was unclear, the Curse wouldn't work right, and that could mean that the Odinsson would be doomed to a terrible fate he surely didn't deserve. They worked on it for months straight under cover of night, until the verse was perfect, and they could ensure at least a small chance of the God of Mischief's survival._

_But that was only Remus' part of the plan._

_And so, the day Remus and his father left, Axel put his own into effect._

_As Head Councilman of the Vaelhiem, Axel was declared the Honored Lord in Ceil Zak'Vael's absence, and Axel was determined to keep it that way. So, with several key Generals of the Imperial Military backing him, he and his allies staged a coup within hours of the former Honored Lord's leaving, setting the Black Huntsmen (who would later deflect back to Ceil's side for unknown reasons) on any Councilman who dared try to stop them._

_The coup was over and successful within hours._

_After that, all Axel had to do was wait._

****N._.s._.S** **

****B**** ** **anner was the first one asleep the night after Loki's death.**** Banner asleep in and of itself was unusual, given the man's persistent insomnia and nightmares to boot; but when Stark came back up to the loft, balancing a datapad in one hand and a hot drink in the other, to find him sound asleep on the couch, he couldn't help but grin.

The storm still raged outside, and it showed no signs of stopping.

Cap, being Cap, was still down in Medic, keeping an eye Barton and Natasha's souls, all while talking strategy with Fury. After Axel's appearance, neither of them were taking anymore chances with them, and were content to stay up there for as long as it took, seeing as they didn't exactly have anywhere to go anytime soon.

Stark sat down in the armchair across from Banner and continued working, sipping his drink and occasionally looking up at Banner, smirking. The booming thunder and flashes of lightning didn't distract him anymore; nor did the insistent, maddening pitter-patter of the hail, now that he'd all but gotten used to it.

_Who the hell are you?_

That was how Stark greeted Axel Hernsson, when he found him standing in the doorway of the lab, arms folded across his chest. He didn't look impressed when Stark grabbed one of the suit's gauntlets and took aim at him, and actually rolled his bright, maroon eyes when Stark repeated his question.

 _My name is Axel Hernsson,_ He'd said _, I'd appreciate it if you'd hear me out before shooting me._

_Listen, we just got our butts kicked by-_

_By the Black Hunt; which I am not part of. I want them dead as much as you do._

_I doubt it,_ Stark snorted, but he slowly lowered his hand nonetheless, _What do you want?_

_I've come to help._

****N._.s._.S** **


	29. Promise Me Thus

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Promise Me Thus.**

**"For every promise, there is price to pay."**

**\- Jim Rohn.**

**"You... you..."**

Apparently, Thor was having trouble finding anything bad enough to call him; and Loki couldn't blame him- but then again, his brother couldn't exactly form a coherent sentence at the moment, due to how badly he was crying, and his crushing embrace over the God of Mischief certainly wasn't helping anything in that regard.

After realizing that simply calling out for the God of Thunder wasn't going to do it, Loki had stepped up beside his brother and climbed right up beside him, reaching up and slowly clasping his hand over Thor's, regardless of the roaring thunder and the lightning striking dangerously close as he approached.

"You..." Thor tried again, though his voice quickly died again, "You're..."

"I know," Loki answered, quietly, gently, "And I'm so sorry."

"Damn it, Loki."

The world around them had seemed to slow to a complete standstill as Thor turned to see who had dared try to stop him; dared try to stop the thunder he summoned- but when he saw Loki, the anger behind his stormy, azure eyes melted quickly away, and he'd actually dropped Mjolnir when he embraced him, before Loki could even get a single word in.

"Do you have any idea what I-" Thor began, slowly, finally, letting go of Loki as he spoke, and drawing away a little as they stared at each other for a long, terrible moment before trying again, "What I went through?"

_\- Just as what had happened in the Svartalfheim two years ago, there's blood everywhere. The wound in the God of Mischief's chest was gaping and deep- and Thor knew from last time that it went all the way though, and he unlatched his crimson cape, pressing it as firmly, but as gently as he could, over the terrible wound in a futile effort to stop the blood that was already soaking the ground underneath-_

"I didn't know that son of a bitch would stab me like that after I broke the Curse over Midgard," Loki retorted, firmly looking out toward the flooded city, still obscured by the heavy rainfall over the balcony, shoving the painful memory away, "And I seriously thought I was going to die back there. I didn't know if I-"

A roar of thunder and a flash of lightning interrupted him at that moment, and made the both of them look up into the black sky; and when another bolt came down a few moments later, Loki sighed, almost wearily, running a hand through his soaked, raven-black hair.

"I didn't know if I'd make it, and I wasn't going to take that chance."

"You could have told me," Thor answered, quietly, "You could have _said something_."

"And then what?" Loki retorted, although not unkindly, "What if I was wrong? What if I really _was_ dead, and I'd given you some false illusion of hope?"

"Then at least I'd have that!"

There was another crack of thunder above their heads and Loki flinched.

"Thor, I wasn't going to do that to you. It would have been cruel-"

"Even crueler than watching you die _twice_?"

_\- It ended with blood pooled on the empty street underneath, covering the shaking arms that cradled him, and with tears running, still hot and fast, burning down frozen, white cheeks. It ended in silence, in an absolute, terrible silence, broken only by the stricken sobs of the one man who bore witness to the end-_

"That's not what I meant-" Loki began, though his voice suddenly broke and he looked away again. "If I had told you everything, you wouldn't have let me do any of it in the first place."

That much, Loki knew with absolute certainty, was true.

Thor couldn't come up with a retort to that, and he looked back, at Jane, before sighing in defeat.

"You didn't have to play hero," He finally declared, quietly, "You didn't have to suffer like that alone."

Loki exhaled and smiled a little, shaking his head.

"I was never alone, at least not completely. It wasn't like what happened after I learned I was a Jotun, and Laufeysson besides," He told him, darkly, though his voice gentled slightly as he continued, "I knew if I couldn't handle it, if I couldn't keep the pain in check; I could rely on you, that I could tell you everything if I needed. It was my choice this time, Thor, part of breaking my Curse."

Thor didn't have an answer to that. Instead, he turned back and scooped up Jane from where she sat, just outside the door leading back into their room.

"What happens now?" He finally asked, quietly, breaking the silence as he laid her on their bed, looking over his shoulder and frowning as Loki followed him in and closed the door, locking it and shutting out the violent storm that still raged outside.

"I'm leaving."

Those words were another stab to the heart, and Thor straightened back up and turned to look at his brother again, golden brows raised in both surprise and concern as he looked over his brother clearly for the first time that night, seeing that despite the jagged marks of the Curse finally being gone, his Loki's face was still gaunt and pale; and his jade-green eyes were haunted and visibly weary.

"Can I convince you otherwise?"

Loki's reply is firm. "I doubt it."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be forced to become something I'm not," Loki answered, simply, with a wry smile, "And I don't ever want to question who- or what- I am again."

For the first time in years, both brothers were finally on the same page- and now, on the same sentence. For the first time, Thor saw the Loki that had been hidden since he'd learned about his true heritage; the one trapped in not only both Asgard and Jotunheim, but some dark, terrifying place between.

"And you're going to be able to do this... by leaving," Thor surmised, slowly, "For good?"

"Yes."

There is no hesitation in Loki's voice even at that answer; and from that moment, Thor knew there would be no point to trying to persuade him against leaving; because if there was one thing that they had in common even before all this, it was being steadfast and brutally stubborn when it came to doing something that they truly felt they had to do.

"So you want me to tell them you're dead?"

Loki inclines his head. "It's for the best. That way, they won't ever come looking for me."

"What about Heimdall?"

"Heimdall cannot see me, never could. You and I both know that."

"And father?"

"Odin will rest easy knowing that I've gone in peace."

"Me?"

This time, Loki's jade-green eyes flashed, and he crossed the room to place both hands on his brothers shoulder, drawing them close and staring deep into his brother's eyes as he answered.

"You will know that you've given me the freedom I've long sought," He said, so softly that Thor nearly missed it, thanks to the still very audible thunderstorm raging outside, "And you will be happy knowing that I will be safe, and content to live my own life."

"Will we ever see each other again?"

Loki smiled, but when he tried to draw away, without a word, Thor caught him in another embrace.

"I forgive you," Thor finally managed to murmur, and Loki looked back at him, clearly stunned, "I never saw you as a monster, or insane, or as a Jotun, Loki. Because that's not who you are."

The God of Mischief simply, slowly returns the embrace, just as another bolt of lightning lights up the room, illuminating the tears that had welled in those bright, tired jade eyes.

"You are my brother."

**N._.s._.S**

**As they walked downstairs, side-by-side, Loki could still not be seen by anyone else, so Thor drew many strange, even startled looks from those they quietly passed as they made their way down to the Courtyard.** They had chosen this place together, believing it was a fitting place for Loki to safely take his leave; since that place was theirs alone, and no one but themselves would be seen, thanks to the enchantments Loki had cast so long ago over the beautiful place.

And most of all, they believed that it was fitting that it would share their final secret.

They waited until they were out of earshot of others before they started talking; mostly because they didn't know how to start a conversation and they didn't want Asgard thinking Thor had lost his mind when they witnessed him talking into the air. So, they were quiet as they made their way through the half-flooded grounds, away from every other living soul. The storm had finally taken a break, turning into a light drizzle of rain as they continued down to the Courtyard, which they found had somehow escaped any kind of damage at all.

"What are you going to do after the Hunt's finished?" Loki asked as they carefully moved down the gilded steps toward the lake, "I can't imagine you'll be content on staying here in Asgard after... after everything that's happened?"

"No. I'm staying on Midgard," Thor said, decisively, "I'll bring Jane back with me when the Hunt's gone."

For some reason, it was strange to hear Thor call Midgard his "home," but Loki easily let the matter go without comment as he continued.

"Have you decided where?"

"New York, of course."

"Gods, that place was terrible. Too many lights and strange people."

Thor laughed then, and Loki soon joined him, breaking the tension that had built up on the walk to the yard, as they were left to their own thoughts.

"What about you?" Thor asked after they'd calmed back down, "Where will you go?"

"I don't know. Somewhere quiet. Gods know the Jotunheim could probably use a living touch again."

"Do you really want to live there?"

"Why not?" Loki shrugged, "It's actually quite beautiful. Secluded and safe, too."

"It's just..." Thor paused for effect, smiling a little, "Wouldn't you rather go to Vanaheim, marry some pretty maid in a distant, tiny village where no one's heard of you, have a few children, and have a normal life?"

After a shocked moment, Loki simply patted Thor's shoulder and smirked.

"You and Jane will have _that_ covered in due time, I'm sure."

They reached the lake laughing again.

"Seriously, Thor," Loki said as their laughter died, and the air turned serious, "Don't worry about me."

"You know I can't do that."

Loki turned to face him, and smiled a little, jade-green eyes lighting up again.

"Live your life, content with who you are, and at peace with what you've done," He said, gently, reaching out to grasp his brother's shoulder, "You deserve that much."

"As do you."

Loki embraced him then, suddenly and tightly, closing his eyes and letting his tense shoulders relax a little as Thor returned it, and after a few long, quiet moments, he drew back and spoke again.

"Promise me something, Thor. Before I leave."

"Yes?"

"When you and your friends have defeated the Black Hunt, and the storm fades, promise me you will look up into the sky, and smile for me."

If Thor thought that was an odd request, he knew better than to voice it.

"I will."

Loki looked away and and let out a deep breath. Before him, the lake slowly began to freeze, rippling over the shoreline and creeping along to the center.

"Hey," Loki's voice is surprised, as if he'd just thought of something for the first time, and he looked back at his brother, as if he couldn't contain his curiosity. "Thor?"

"Yes?"

"The day you married Jane, do you remember how you asked me to freeze the lake?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because Jane and Sif made a bet that you couldn't."

Loki laughed at that one; and overhead, thunder clapped, as if alongside him, causing both brothers to look up as the rain began to fall harder again. Loki turned back, still smiling, and began moving again, toward the center of the lake, where he stood in silence as the rain fell about him, the tiny droplets turning to snow as it reached the earth at his feet.

The God of Mischief took in a long, slow deep breath, extending his arms out. Thor saw blue creeping up into his brother's features, angry and suddenly, before it suddenly faded in a flick of an eye when Loki let his arms drop back down, creating a wave of snow to fall silently to his feet.

Loki exhaled, and the snow began to circle around him, lifting slowly into the air, as if guided by the hand of some invisible force, and it was then that Thor knew that his brother was leaving.

And this time, it would be for good.

"Loki!" Thor called, as the torrent of snow lifted over his brother's thin form, "Promise me something!"

Thor saw a flash of jade and gold from within the white mass, and knew Loki had heard him.

_"Promise me you'll smile back!"_

There was another laugh, this one booming and clear, despite the thunder still roaring overhead, resonating though the yard as, without warning, or a final response, Loki, snow and all, disappeared; leaving the lake still frozen, and now, completely barren of life.

And the courtyard silent.

**N._.s._.S**

**Thor returned to the palace as the heavy rain turned to hail- and then to a snowfall, as if Loki's leaving had become the turning point in it; that now he was free, gone for good, the storm could slowly begin to falter.** _For some reason, however, despite losing his brother for what he knew would be the final time, it felt as though some terrible burden had suddenly lifted from the God of Thunder's shoulders; and while he would always bear Loki's secret heavily, he could smile freely still._

_For he knew that somewhere within the Nine Realms, his brother could too._

**N._.s._.S**

**Loki was free.**

_But now, there was one last thing he had to do._

**N._.s._.S**


	30. Peace, Wayward Souls

**Chapter Thirty: Peace, Wayward Souls.**

**"Do not stand at my grave and weep; for I am not there, I do not sleep."**

**\- Mary Elizabeth Frye.**

**T** **he next day was one of the most difficult of Thor's life.** Even knowing that his brother was alive, well, and now truly free from the hurt and fear that had plagued and tried his sanity for years; it did nothing to ease the heavy, painful sinking feeling somewhere deep in the God of Thunder's heart as the farewell ceremony drew nearer.

Jane stayed by his side the whole day, supportive as always. She of all people understood now how deeply Loki's leaving had stung (of course he'd let her in on the big secret just hours after his brother left), and knew that being forced to lie to all of Asgard about it was just pouring salt onto the wound.

 _"It's for the best,"_ She assured him, gently, after he'd explained, _"You were right to let him go."_

Was he? Thor didn't know anymore.

The responsibility of telling the All-Father what had happened to Loki had obviously fallen to Thor with his brother's apparent demise; and the first thing that happened that morning, was Thor being called into the throne-room and being asked to recount the events that had lead up to the God of Mischief's death.

So, Thor explained Loki's "death" as best as he could remember from that day. He described the wound, how Loki had fought well with their allies on Midgard, and how it was his brother who, single-handedly, stopped the Black Hunt from hurting anyone else or destroying Midgard and Asgard together.

"Is there nothing?" Eir had demanded of Axel after Thor told them everything that he could.

 _Loki Odinsson's death came from a cruel, desperate blade, not by a crumbling soul,_ Axel answered, maroon eyes flashing to Thor's as he spoke, _There is naught any of us can do now._

At that moment, Thor met his father's eyes.

The All-Father hadn't taken his one good, bright azure eye off Thor since he'd entered the room, and hadn't said a word throughout the God of Thunder's explanation of the events leading up to his second son's death. He just sat there, calmly, as if trying to decipher his son's every word, trying to catch the truth.

"Of all the despicable, rotten moves..." Eir declared, bitterly, "This isn't right."

 _No one ever said it was, Eir. But rest assured that Lor'Vael shall be punished for his terrible crimes when the time comes- which,_ Axel countered, matching the old medic's tone as he caught Thor's eye again, maroon eyes flashing in some sort of dark satisfaction, _I believe shall be very soon yet._

Thor doesn't answer, but that remark seemed to snap Odin out of his thoughts.

"Thor will defeat Lor'Vael," He told Axel, gravely, turning to the Honored Lord and breaking his strange, unwavering staring contest with his son at last, "But not out of vengeance for Loki."

Lor'Vael folded his arms behind his back and gave a single, sharp nod, though his maroon eyes lighting up in what could only have been obvious amusement.

_As you say._

****N._.s._.S** **

****You**** ** **are a very skilled liar.** ** _Have you have taken a leaf from your brother's book?_

Axel had followed Thor and Jane out of the throne-room after Odin dismissed them all but Sanat Eir. The Honored King had his white hooded cloak folded over his crooked arm as he quickly made his way after them, managing to catch up to them in the stairwell corridor.

Thor shot him a warning look, but Axel shook his head.

_You cannot fool me. I daresay that I know far more about what happened to Loki Odinsson than you._

Despite Jane placing a cautioning hand on his shoulder, Thor whirled around at that remark, causing Axel to actually take a few startled steps back, holding up his hands in a surrendering, almost apologetic manner.

 _You have my word that I shall not breathe a word of your secret for as long as I live,_ He assured them as he slowly, cautiously put his hands back down, _I will even let you in on one of mine if you do the same._

Thor cast a look at Jane before turning back to Axel and answering.

"Loki is alive."

For some reason, admitting that aloud, and to someone like Axel, lightened the aching burden in Thor's heart, though not enough to take away the pain he knew would always be there.

 _As I suspected,_ Axel said with a satisfied nod, before beckoning him close, _Now, let me tell_ you _something._

Thor leaned in, and the Honored Lord put a hand on the God of Thunder's shoulder, brilliant dark maroon eyes boring straight into bright, curiously alight azure eyes.

_I planned your brother's survival with Remus Zak'Vael before his Curse was even cast._

Everything seemed to freeze for a split second as Thor took in those words with wide, shocked eyes. Axel straightened back up, away from the God of Thunder, and put a single, long finger up against his chin, where if he had a face, they'd have been pressed against his lips (if he'd had them, of course).

"How..." Thor's voice is shocked and low, and Axel chuckled.

 _Ceil Zak'Vael was a menace to the Vaelhiem and the other Realms, and I decided to stop him,_ Axel answered, simply, with another sharp, singe nod as he continued, _For many centuries, I planned a coup alongside his son, which ended up eventually including stopping his plan of murdering Loki and taking over the Nine Realms. Remus came up with a Curse with a powerful loophole in your brother's Curse, ensuring his Asgardian self's survival; while I destroyed whatever was left of the Ceil's reign and installed myself as King, so I could watch over him and see to the final stage of breaking the Curse when the time came._

"You lied to everyone. From the second we met," Thor said, keeping his voice low as Jane stared between them, hand over her mouth in shock, "You knew everything... and yet you said nothing."

 _What good would that have done?_ Axel answered, quietly, looking away from Thor, _Telling you, Loki, and anyone else such secrets would certainly not only undermine the memory of my late Prince; who courageously sacrificed his life to put in place everything he did, but perhaps even endangered our separate missions. I regret nothing, Odinsson. I was not going to do such a thing on the grounds of such foolish sentiment._

"Then why tell me all this now?" Thor challenged, "Why reveal it when everything is about to end?"

 _That's obvious,_ Axel answered, quietly, _Because regardless if you defeat the Black Huntsmen or not now, Remus and I have already won. You can do nothing with this information now that you know it._

And with that last word, the Honored Lord turned on his heels and, before Thor could call him back, continued on his way, heading quickly back down the long, empty hall, turning the corner and disappearing.

"I can't believe it," Jane said, softly.

"Neither can I," Thor replied, darkly, staring at the corner where Axel had disappeared, "But Axel's right about one thing. There's nothing we can do."

"Are we going to tell Odin?"

"That's the last thing we want to do now," Thor told her, shaking his head, "No. Axel told us what he did because he knew we couldn't do anything about it. If we tell my father now, it'll only cause friction between Asgard and the Vaelhiem- and we and the Nine Realms cannot afford that to happen again."

"So he's backed us into a corner?"

"Indeed, he has."

****N._.s._.S** **

****Thor**** ****never got a lot of time to think about Axel Hernsson's shocking revelations as much as he probably should have- his brother's farewell ceremony demanded his immediate attention now; not a secret that he could do absolutely nothing about now and would change nothing regardless.** **

With the God of Thunder's input, they decided what would be done with the ceremony within a few hours, and set to work. In the end, it was agreed that a grand ceremony wouldn't do the God of Mischief any justice, as they all knew Loki wouldn't have appreciated such a big fuss being made about him.

They went with a quiet, nontraditional burial that was, in the end, all Thor's idea. He'd gone back down to the Courtyard and found just the right place; the cliff where he and Jane had been married a year before. It was utterly silent and beautiful, looking over the endless sky and a perfect view of stars on clear, summer nights. It was the same place that he and Loki would go as children, and it held such special memories that, all of which made Thor smile when he remembered even as he dug what would become the gravesite himself.

**"What do you see, Thor?"**

**"Stars?"**

Loki had laughed at the simplicity of the answer, and Thor had grumbled his embarrassment. Even as children, his brother's skill with every aspect of their studies, and especially old lore, had been completely unrivaled.

**"Well, _I_ see a story."**

**"A story?"**

From that moment on, his brother told him stories about the stars. Often, they would meet at this same cliff in the evening, getting away from the palace and their teachers and all their responsibilities for a couple hours at a time. Thor would listen to Loki's stories about the stars, numbering to at least fifty different ones as time wore on, and try to memorize the constellations that his brother traced out before them every night, into the empty air.

 **"Each of these constellations has a story to tell, Thor; remember that,"** Loki had told him one night with his usual wide, mischievous smile, **"They're older than we are, older than mother and father, and even Asgard."**

**"Nothing's that old!"**

It never occurred to Thor back then that Loki had to memorized every story he told.

The gravestone they laid for Loki was simple, but beautiful nonetheless. It was longer than it was wide, rectangle-shaped. The God of Mischief's full name had been written in large gold, calligraphic strokes, vertically down the smooth, glittering surface of the freshly-cut black marble. It stood out beautifully on that cliff, like a beckon, and Thor seriously appreciated that it would be so easily seen.

They knew better than to drag the ceremony itself out. Thor still had to return to Midgard as soon as possible, before Loki's storm there ended and the Black Hunt sought vengeance over their failure. But they weren't about to rush, either- such a slight, it was believed, would invoke a spirit to return and haunt Asgard.

But of course, none but a select, special few knew that Loki would never return for such a petty reason.

There were only three people, besides Jane and Thor, who came to the burial. Those three were Axel; who stood further back than the other two, arms folded across his chest and more of a spectator than anything else, Eir; who helped build the casket and placed the body into it himself, and of course Odin; who never said a word throughout the quiet event, keeping his one good, bright azure eye on the gravestone the whole time.

When it was over, Eir and Odin left together without a word. There were no words of wisdom from either of them; no warnings, not even a single look in their direction from either the All-Father or the old medic.

Axel watched their departure with a regretful look in his eyes.

 _What sorrow has overtaken them,_ He said, quietly, as they disappeared, up the path back to the palace, _It will take them both many days to recover from this, if they ever do._

Neither Jane nor Thor answered that as Axel approached.

 _Here, Odinsson,_ The Honored Lord added when it became clear that the God of Thunder would not speak, reaching into his cloak's pocket and pulling out something long and silver, _I have this for you._

It was the dagger Ceil Zak'Vael had broken over a year ago; the one that Thor had given to Loki many centuries ago and had now almost completely forgot about. Axel twirled it lightly in his hand before extending it out toward them, and nodding once, sharply, handing it over.

"Where did you find this?" Thor asked, quite seriously, as he took the blade.

 _I found it in the Med Wing, on the table next to Loki's "body,"_ Axel explained, easily, as Thor ran a hand over the smooth surface of the blade, marveling at the craftsmanship that had obviously went into repairing the broken blade, _Along with the sheath. Just before the storm hit, I took it to one of my advisers, who I happened to know knew one of our great blacksmiths in the Vaelhiem. He managed to repair it for you in time for today._

"Thank you."

Axel nodded again, and turned back to the palace.

 _Consider it a peace offering,_ The Honored King answered, somewhat seriously, after a long moment of silence, looking back at the God of Thunder as he spoke, _As well as a sincere apology for my deceit._

With that, Axel extended his hand.

Thor gladly accepted it with a smile.

****N._.s._.S** **

****I**** ** **t would be time to leave soon.**** Thor had very patiently decided to postpone his leaving until nightfall, knowing it would be early morning in New York when he returned. He and Jane had spent the rest of the day together in the tower. Thor had remembered a few of the stories Loki had told him during the ceremony, and retold them as best he could to Jane; though he quickly found he was nowhere as good as his brother.

He also told Jane what he'd told Loki; about wanting to stay in Midgard after the Hunt was gone and everything went back to normal. Of course, she was overjoyed and accepted the idea wholeheartedly; and it was then that Thor realized that she had dearly missed their friends and the familiar beauty of her realm.

Thor promised her that he would return within three day's time, victorious.

She didn't doubt it.

Before he left, Thor went back down to Loki's grave, finding that even though he knew that his brother really wasn't there at all- and would never be. As he approached it, though, he saw something that made him stop.

Sitting before the grave, were gifts, things that certainly hadn't been there before.

The first item Thor instantly recognized, was the Rubik cube puzzle Jane had given Loki some time ago, completed still and sitting on the grass, on top of three bright, fresh white lilies. A red rose sat on top of the grave itself, fully bloomed and striking against the black marble.

 _Who could have left these?_ Thor wondered as he approached, taking the dagger from his pocket and setting it against the grave itself so that it would catch the sun when it peaked over the palace every morning.

Thor hadn't seen the Rubik cube since the night Loki disappeared after being attacked by Ceil Zak'Vael the first time. The white lilies and the red rose were an obvious nod toward Loki himself

 _It seems as though father, Eir, Axel, Jane and I are not the only ones who forgave you, brother,_ Thor thought as he straightened up again, _I'm glad there's someone else besides us._

As he went back, moving through the darkening palace again and heading through the city toward the Bifrost, he passed the Warriors Three and Sif, sitting at one of the tables outside a bar, each with a drink in hand. Fandral and Hogun waved at Thor as he passed them, while Volstagg gave him two thumbs up.

Sif, on the other hand, simply smiled and mouthed _"Good luck,"_ before turning quickly away again.

Thor waved back at them before continuing on his way.

He crossed the Bridge, where Heimdall waited for him, and without a word, the Gatekeeper stepped aside and opened the portal that would sent Thor back to Midgard once more.

Before the Bifrost lit up and he disappeared back to New York for one last fight; the God of Thunder noted the lingering scent of what could only have been the sweet, earthy smell of white lilies and roses.

****N._.s._.S** **


	31. Rainy Days II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stupid me. I forgot to post the last few chapters!   
> Whoops. Sorry! XD

****Chapter Thirty-One: Rainy Days II.** **

**" **I always liked walking in the rain... there, no one could see me crying."****

****\- Charles Chaplin.** **

****T**** ** **he storm in New York was just starting to fizzle out when Thor returned.**** The damage wasn't too extensive; just a few broken windows, fallen trees, flipped cars, and damaged, flooded streets- all superficial things, nothing measuring up close to the damage done in Boston during the fight with the Black Hunt; and the damage that was sure to come very soon with what Thor was positive would be the final clash.

Banner was standing out on the balcony when Thor got to the Tower. The man's arms were folded tensely across his broad chest, but he smiled and unfolded them to wave when he saw the God of Thunder nonetheless.

"How now, friend?" Thor greeted him.

"How are you feeling?" Banner answered, cautiously.

"Better than last we saw each other, I promise you that," Thor assured him, and for a long moment, Banner looked satisfied with that answer, but then his dark brown eyes darkened with another pressing concern as they entered the familiar loft, getting out of the mist and unnatural hush that still lingered over the city.

"... And Loki?"

"He awaits in a far more peaceful place than this."

The loft was messier than Thor remembered. It looked as though someone had torn through it, frantically searching for something. The couches had been moved, the bar stools had been tipped on their sides, there were broken glasses and empty bottles of water strewn everywhere, and there were wires and other miscellaneous tech-related, odd-end things that appeared to have been simply thrown carelessly about.

"What happened in here?" He dared ask, as Banner set a stool upright by the bar.

"Tony," Banner answered, grimly, "He's been working on something _'special'_ for the Hunt."

"A weapon?"

"Something like that."

"There are no weapons he may create that will be of any use against the Black Hunt- and especially not against Lor'Vael," Thor said, seriously, "We must rely on our skill alone in this coming battle."

"Tech _is_ Tony's skill, you know that," Banner chuckled, beckoning Thor to follow him to the elevator, "But that's neither here nor there right now. You and I have to go down to the Med Bay and meet Cap."

"Did something happen?"

"Yes- but don't worry," The scientist added before Thor could answer, "For once it's actually good news."

****N._.s._.S** **

****In**** ****short, Cap was glad to see them.** **

He greeted Thor with a friendly smile outside the Med Bay and shook his hand.

"Good to see you're all right," He said, sincerely, "... But I'm sorry about Loki."

Thor accepted that with a short nod, and Cap turned back to the Med Bay door, which he unlocked by opening up a hidden panel beside the door and keying in a code of some sort.

The God of Thunder had only ever been in the Med Bay several times, discounting the time he'd been in last time, and then only because he'd come to visit Stark, Barton, or whoever else was injured. It wasn't until last time he was here, that he was actually the one injured.

The room was spacious, bright and airy, thanks to Stark, Banner, and Roger's shared, strong dislike of dark, gloomy hospital rooms. There were ten beds total lining the walls, each equipped with their own bedside desks, lamps, and comfortable chairs, so whoever stood vigil over their friends could rest easy. The eight unused beds had clean linen curtains, sheets, and blankets folded neatly over the mattresses.

Most of the light in the room came from across, where each patron got a beautiful view of the city (or at least under normal circumstances). Apparently, Stark had replaced the wall with a gargantuan window spanning the entire side the last time he'd ended up here, after an unfortunate accident involving a new weapon and DUM-E.

"What's all this about?" Thor asked, cautiously, as Banner headed across the room without a word, lifting up one of the bed curtains and peeking cautiously in.

"Nat and Barton are back."

That was good news.

"When did that happen?" Thor questioned, as Banner closed the curtain again.

"Last night," Cap answered, folding his arms, "A Vael named Axel came to visit us. After taking you and Loki back to Asgard, he gave us some advice on how to get them back to normal."

"Axel Hernsson was here?" Thor said, thoughtfully, as a flash of those all too-familiar, brilliant maroon eyes light up in the back of his mind, "I'm glad that he could help."

"He's a real piece of work, though," Cap grumbled with a shake of his head. Banner shook his head and ran his fingers through his dark hair before looking back at Thor.

"He was... quite unfriendly at first," He agreed, and Thor nodded once, sharply, as the good doctor added, though carefully, "He didn't exactly have much sympathy for what happened."

"No one ever accused him of _not_ being difficult," He admitted, "But despite that, know that he is truly an ally of both Asgard and Midgard. He is eager to right the wrongs the Black Hunt have committed."

Cap doesn't acknowledge the statement, but Banner gave the God of Thunder an understanding look.

"He was an interesting fellow," Banner remarked, thoughtfully, throwing a glance at Cap before continuing, "He said that he'd watched Humanity _'grow up,'_ that we should be proud of all of our accomplishments so far, but we had a lot to learn, about not only ourselves, but about everything around us."

"You _do_ have much to learn," Thor confirmed, though kindly he added, "Your people are young. You have yet to truly come into contact with the other Nine Realms and that leaves you limited- but that does not mean weak."

"What about the other realms?" Cap spoke up, looking over at them at last again, "What about them?"

"They are curious of Midgard for sure now, thanks in no small part to this team and what it has accomplished in such little time. And many will wish to challenge you, especially after the Black Hunt is defeated; for destroying them will prove your worth, so to speak."

"And will they challenge us?"

"They will, eventually." Thor replied, seriously, "But your accomplishments have not gone ignored by all. Know that when the time comes to prove your world's standing in the Nine Realms, you will have powerful allies in Asgard, and now in the Vaelhiem, backing you in the fight."

****N._.s._.S** **

****Stark**** ****looked over his shoulder when the glass doors to his lab opened, and he smiled a little when Thor, Banner, and Cap entered.** **

"Great, you're back," Stark said with a grin, turning his chair around to face them and revealing that he wore the metal gauntlet of his suit for his right hand and arm, covered in wires and an odd, bright azure light that flashed between the pieces every other minute, catching Stark's eye and causing him to turn back again, "Almost done."

"What are you working on this time?" Cap asked, folding his arms and remaining safely at the door even as Banner and Thor ventured closer and crossed the room to look over Stark's shoulder for a better view.

"The short version is that this is just a waterproof suit," Stark answered, easily, as he slowly took off the gauntlet and turned it around with both hands, keeping a firm grip on it as the azure light continued to glow and pulse oddly underneath the crimson metal.

"What's the long version?" Banner asked, as Cap crossed the room in sudden, new interest to join the other two in looking over the scientist's shoulder.

"It's actually a few slight mods, giving me prolonged underwater breathing, and water-based defensive and offensive capabilities," Stark explained, patiently, holding up the gauntlet, "The blue pulses are just a reactor thing, by the way."

He handed the gauntlet over to Cap, and the moment the bright pulses lost contact with Stark's skin, they went dead again.

Cap stared down at the glove, raising a single, impressed brow.

"This might actually work," He said, "Is it all you've been doing down here, though?"

"Nope. I was also taking a look of the vids we got from the battle from Boston," Stark answered, taking the gauntlet back and putting it back down on the table as he stood up, "And I've been working on a way of beating them. We know their weaknesses, but when it comes to speed, strength, and magic, they've got everyone but Thor completely beat."

"Did you find anything useful?" Banner asked as Thor and Cap traded wry glances.

"I actually might have," Stark declared, with an unappreciative look at the other two as he took one of his many remote controls off the table, "JARVIS, get me all the vids from Boston."

_Of course._

Like last time, holograms began shooting out from around the room, enclosing the group together between them as Stark enlarged them all, one at a time, pressing things and then flinging them aside as he looked though them all, one by one.

"I found footage of the Black Hunt's movements through the city while Loki and Thor were both busy with Lor'Vael," Stark explained, "And from what Axel explained to me before he left, Lor'Vael's got some sort of connection thing going with the rest of the group that lets him see every move they- and we- make."

Stark looked back at Thor, as if for some sort of confirmation.

"I know of no such thing," The God of Thunder said, shaking his head, "But if Axel Hernsson said it, then it must be true. He would know more than I of the Hunt's abilities."

Stark continued with a victorious, 'told you so' smirk.

"Anyway, that means Lor'Vael can turn the battle to his favor by manipulating the movements of his friends, kind of like some kind of master puppeteer," He added to Cap when he moved to speak, dark blue eyes lit up with some confusion, "But the good news is that without the Curse to back him, his connection to them will be cut over distance-"

"Giving us a chance to take advantage of his loss of control," Banner concluded, triumphantly.

"Exactly," Stark said with a satisfied nod, "But the thing I want to tell you is, if Loki hadn't managed to break Lor'Vael's Curse, then we would've had to deal with some insanely powerful puppets, like what happened in Boston, but worse. But because he did what he did, not only do we not have to worry about the Curse anymore, but now we have a serious weakness we can exploit."

"And do you have an idea how we can do that?" Cap asked.

"I wouldn't be the genius here if I didn't, would I?"

Thor couldn't help but chuckle.

Banner snorted while Cap rolled his eyes.

****N._.s._.S** **

****T**** ** **hey decided to wait until night to go through with Stark's newfound plan.**** The rain and mist had mostly evaporated as the sun rose higher and higher, filling the whole city with a brilliant glow.

Thor decided to wait up on the balcony while the other three stayed down in the Lab. Stark had to finish his suit within the next few hours, and since there would probably be no chance for a test drive, had to make sure that every detail, every little thing, was right on the mark, or face malfunction in the middle of the battle.

Of course, Stark couldn't- and wouldn't- risk that.

_I don't want to be forced to become something I'm not_

Thor gripped the railing of the balcony hard as he closed his eyes, taking long, deep breaths and fighting to ignore the tightening, painful feeling stabbing deep in his heart. Loki's words had been precise, and while Thor knew that it wasn't his brother's intention to hurt him with them, they had nonetheless.

_And I don't ever want to question who- or what- I am again._

How could he have missed the not-so-subtle changes in Loki after what had happened in the Jotunheim three years ago? True, he had been banished less than an hour after the incident, but even so, he had seen the way Loki had recoiled in shock when their eyes met, as though he was only then truly seeing Thor for the first time, and had seen the way he'd stared at Odin in shock- though not for what he was doing to Thor.

Thor had seen the first glisten of madness in the God of Mischief's eyes when Loki came to him in New Mexico, and then many times again almost a year later, in New York, for those brief moments they'd met each other's eyes. But now, he realized that he'd seen not Loki, but a mad reflection that the God of Thunder knew his brother had fought for years, and perhaps still even now.

And yet he'd done nothing- and worse, hadn't even noticed until it was far, far too late.

_I'm leaving._

_Can I convince you otherwise?_

_I doubt it._

"Thor?"

The God of Thunder jumped and his bright, azure eyes flew open as he quickly turned around, only to find none other than Bruce Banner leaning against the glass door-frame, arms folded neatly across his chest and his dark, heavy brows already cinched together in obvious concern.

"Are you all right?"

Thor turned back to look over the balcony as Banner walked over to stand next to him, silently unfolding his arms as he approached and spoke again.

"Your brother may not have been the greatest of people for some small part of his life," He began, quietly, gently, "But he will never be remembered for any of that anymore. Loki will be remembered, at least here, to Stark, Cap, and I, as the hero he deserves to be recognized as."

Thor chanced a glance at him as Banner continued, but found that the other man wasn't even looking at him, but out into the distant, bright horizon far out into the infinite distance.

"I spoke to your brother face-to-face before he died, while you were asleep. That man who saved my life, who stepped in front of me, with no regard to his own safety, to take a hit that would have killed me, was not the monster that tried to take over the world three years ago. The kind, soft-spoken man who loved his brother to the point where he choked up just talking about him- that man is the man I'll remember for the rest of my life."

_You will know that you've given me the freedom I've long sought, And you will be happy knowing that I will be safe, and content to live my own life._

The God of Thunder looked over at Banner as he finished speaking again, shocked and still unable to say a word. Banner noticed that and looked over at him and smiled, placing a hand on Thor's shoulder, nodding once, sharply, and continued on, this time staring right into his friend's eyes as he spoke.

"Don't remember the worst things about your brother when you think about him now. Don't just remember the things that scared you, angered you, and hurt you, because none of those things matter anymore. Remember the good things about him, the things that made you proud, that made you love him just as much as he loved you- because if nothing else, he loved you more than anyone, anything; and you are what gave him the strength to do what he did."

"You put a lot of thought into this, didn't you, Banner?" Thor asked, quietly, after a long, drawn out moment of silence, as Banner slowly drew back. That made the other man smile, making his dark brown eyes light up a little.

"I did."

"How did you know I was thinking about him?"

"Because there's this strange look everyone gets in their eyes when they're thinking about someone they've lost," Banner answered, seriously, "I see it in Stark and Cap all the time, and I saw it in Loki. Now, I see it in you. All of you have lost someone important, and I don't want to watch it consume anyone. Because if there's one thing living with the _big guy_ taught me, it's that you treasure all the people you love in your life, no matter all the bad things they've done or all the mistakes they've made- because without them, you wouldn't be _you_."

And so, with that piece of advice, Bruce Banner turned on his heel and walked back inside, leaving the God of Thunder staring after him. Something in his azure eyes had lit back up stronger than before at his friend's kind, wise words, and allowed him to gain back the strength he'd lost in all the long, hard fights now behind him.

_Live your life, content with who you are, and at peace with what you've done. You deserve that much._

_As do you._

"As do you," Thor suddenly said, softly, to the empty air before him, speaking to Loki, wherever his wayward little brother may be at that moment, repeating his statement, this time a little more loudly, "As do you!"

Up in the clear sky, without warning, there was an ear-splitting crack thunder that pierced through the tense, empty silence over the city; and with it, came a powerful, single strike of bright, azure lightning, jagged that lit up the entire city in a huge burst of almighty, almost lively, azure light.

_"As do you!"_

**N._.s._.S**

**Banner returned to R & D just as the thunder and lightning started. ** _The scientist rushed to the window, along with Cap and Stark; who dropped the specs of his newly-finished suit in his haste to see the show._

"What the hell is up with him?" _Stark demanded, though he was smiling._

"Nothing," _Banner said, firmly, and both men turned to look at him,_ "He's going to be fine now."

"What did you tell him?" _Cap asked, sounding shocked and impressed at the same time._

_The good doctor just gave a small, innocent smile and a casual shrug._

"Just something I thought he needed to hear."

**N._.s._.S**


	32. The Beginning of the End I

****Chapter Thirty-Two: The Beginning of the End I.** **

**" **The end of the world came and my job did not change."****

****\- Daniel H. Wilson.** **

****A** **tall, narrow figure, hooded and cloaked, made his way silently through the thick, darkening forest.** ** _His movements are obviously practiced, truly strong and confident- as though he were completely unafraid, despite the dangerous terrain he so calmly trekked through._

_Perched calmly on the man's shoulder despite the constant motion was a gold, translucent bird. Its little head twitched oddly as its owner stepped over gargantuan roots and pushed aside leaves twice his size; and gave an indignant, piercing caw as his master headed across a small river, jumping lightly from rock to rock over the clear, fresh water._

"Shh!"  _Loki Odinsson told it, sharply, putting a long pale finger to his lips as he made a comical grab for the little hummingbird-sized thing, swearing as he just missed as it darted quickly over his head and he nearly stumbled down the banks of the little river,_ "Such a silly little bird!"

_The golden bird hooted imperiously at him and Loki rolled his jade-green eyes at it in clear, growing exasperation, but continued on without another word, with the little bird following suit overhead._

_He was deep within a rift between the Nine Realms, searching for what he knew only as the "_ _Mimisbrunnr," or simply the "Well of Mimir." The eccentric guardian, Mimir, had been one of Loki's greatest allies for years, and his great knowledge of all the nooks and crannies throughout Yggdrasil_ _was_ _especially handy- especially when it came to moving through each world without being spotted by the all-seeing Heimdall._

_But now, though, Loki sought a very different kind of favor._

_Mimisbrunnr lay deep within an ancient, silent cave, and as they approached, the little bird that followed Loki darted almost frantically into the hood that the God of Mischief slowly lowered over his shoulders as he entered the mouth; shivering, though whether it was shivering from cold or fear, Loki couldn't quite tell._

_Loki slowly, cautiously, moved through the cave, taking care to watch his step and keep an eye out for any traps- though Mimir certainly knew he was coming, he'd never put it past the half-mad, ancient being to turn on him at any moment, especially now that all the Nine Worlds thought him dead._

_The well would look innocuous enough to passers by. Ancient and made of blue-grey stones that were cracked and eroded with age, many would wander past it, expecting something far, far grander._

_But, of course Loki knew better._

_Loki came before the well and peered quietly into it, before withdrawing from his pocket a small, silver coin. It wasn't a monetary coin- it was smaller than that, no less than a few centimeters wide and almost paper thin. Loki stared at the ripples in the clear, deep well before quietly tossing it in._

_Like many old masters, Mimir required that all those seeking an audience give him something valuable- but unlike most, Mimir had no wish for physical, monetary gain. He instead asked for memories (so that he could increase his ever all-knowing Well of Knowledge) which is what Loki had given, all entrapped within that little coin. He'd been collecting all his memories for the past year or two, saving them in the coin for this very moment._

_And soon enough, after the coin disappeared into the dark depths of the well, a shadow at the corner of the God of Mischief's eye shifted and slowly came to approach him._

"Is that you, Loki?"

_Mimir stepped out behind the well, and Loki's eyes narrowed down at him._

_Standing before him in the dim, half-light of the cave, was the ancient guardian of the Well of Knowledge himself. He had pale white skin, tinged with blue. His eyes were black, devoid of any other color or marking, making them look deeper than even the well he presided over. He had long black hair that flowed freely down his back to the ground, over his six, long, pointed ears, and over his shoulders, and wore a simple, white wrap to cover his thin, crooked body._

"You are so persistent, my mischievous little gremlin."

_Mimir had taken to calling him "gremlin" ever since Loki stumbled upon him many centuries ago as a child, after accidentally falling into one of the many rifts around the Nine Realms._

_Apparently, he reminded the old master of a particularly nasty one._

"And yet you are still so easy to find, Mimir."

_At that moment, the little bird squawked and darted out of Loki's hood. It flew at Mimir and squawked furiously at him when he swiftly caught it out of the air with unnaturally long fingers. The old master gave a raspy chuckle and let it peck insolently at him as he slowly looked back up at Loki, black eyes staring right through him as he spoke again._

"What have you come here for, gremlin?"  _Mimir asked, as he let the bird go. The golden bird instantly flitted back to perch on Loki's shoulder, still cawing insistently, though it no longer shivered as before._

"I have come to ask a favor."

_At that, Mimir's black eyes flashed, and he slowly smiled, revealing a set of harshly pointed teeth. He approached the well and placed his hand into the water. At his touch, the water lit up and slowly began to inch up the old master's arm, covering with with an odd, silver sheen that flashed bits and pieces of Loki's own memories._

"Be my guest."

**N._.s._.S**

**The day cooled significantly as the sun dipped under the horizon.** Thor watched it disappear as he waited for the others on the balcony, arms folded patiently across his chest.

Banner was the first one to come out, and the two traded knowing nods as the dark-haired man stood next to him. The next one to come out was Cap, already in-costume and carrying his shield. He gave them a small, lopsided half-smile as he closed the door and leaned up against the glass door, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Natasha and Barton?" Banner asked after a long moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Safe," Cap answered, shortly, "Stark is taking care of it."

"Did the suit mod work?"

"We didn't have time to test it, but Stark says it will."

Banner and Thor met each others eyes again, this time nervously. Cap stared between them without a word, before looking quietly away, and they fell into another long, tense silence, each lost within their own thoughts.

They all jumped when they heard a knock behind them.

Stark stood there, carrying with him the case to his suit. He waved and smirked at their stricken looks, and Cap stepped aside to let him outside.

"You didn't test it." Banner accused, quietly, as Stark silently put the case down.

It wasn't a question, and Stark's smirk faded under his friend's stern gaze.

"I would if I had time," Stark answered, slowly, "Besides, the stimulations looked good."

"You can't rely on-" Cap began, severely, the beginnings of a lecture in his voice, but Stark held up a hand, which surprisingly silenced the other men.

"I know."

His voice had lost that normal, irritatingly cocky,  _"I'll do this no matter what you think"_ tone, replaced instead with an earnest, almost pleading, _"just let me do this even though I know you're worried and I know I'm putting myself in danger again,"_  one that left both Cap and Banner speechless and unable to retort.

Thor looked between the three of them, waiting as the stunned silence drew on and on, until finally both Cap and Banner shrank under the deadly-serious gaze of their friend, and adverted their eyes.

After that, Stark suited up.

**N._.s._.S**

**With Thor and Stark in the air, and Banner and Cap on the ground, they moved quickly through the city. Unlike the last time they headed to Boston, there would be nothing but tense silence- even over the little comm-links that Stark handed everyone before liftoff, there was nothing but static.**

_"Keep your heads up and stay together,"_ Cap said as they entered the city-limits, _"They know we're here, and I don't want a repeat of what happened last time."_

A repeat of last time.

He did not just...

Thor threw a glance over his shoulder, down the streets he and Stark flew side-by-side over, and glowered reproachfully at Cap- and by the way that the man suddenly shifted uncomfortably and fiddled, one-handed, with his goggles over the wheel of his motorcycle, Thor knew that he'd gotten the message.

On the other side of the road, on a motorcycle of his own, he thought he saw Banner shake his head.

Before Thor could actually say anything to him, though, Stark beat him to it.

 _"Nice, Cap."_  Stark said, darkly, through the comm-link, between half-amused chortles,  _"Seriously? Next time, why don't you just hand Thor some salt?"_

 _"... God, I'm sorry, Thor,"_ Cap apologized, quickly, but only after a long moment of momentarily confused silence, though his voice was rather satisfyingly mortified, " _I didn't think before I said that."_

Thor looked forward again and refrained from commenting; mostly because he knew Cap hadn't meant any harm or disrespect whatsoever to Loki- but he admitted privately that had he not known that Loki wasn't actually dead, and had Cap not made that order so earnestly, then he would probably have reacted much less favorably.

Instead, the God of Thunder just rolled his bright, azure eyes, and let the matter drop without a word.

The silence returned as they slowed. They'd ended up in the middle of the barren city, just a single street back from where Thor, Loki, and the others battled it out. Thor knew Stark recognized the building where he'd been tossed through from the way he gave it a second, wary glance as he lifted his mask.

Banner cut the power to his bike as he jumped off, and Thor saw him shoot Cap one last, disapproving look (which went steadfastly ignored) as they approached them.

"We're sure they're here?" Banner asked, following Stark's gaze to the building and giving him a small, almost encouraging smile before they both looked quickly back at Cap.

"Positive," Cap answered, "Fury tracked them again before we left to make sure."

Thor wasn't listening. He'd seen something bright and small flit between two of the buildings nearest them. He watched the bight little thing dart out again, unnoticed by anyone but him, making graceful, attention-grabbing loops before promptly disappearing into the dark alleys between the two streets.

Thor didn't think twice about following it.

_"Hey!"_

_"Thor?"_

_"Wait!"_

He ignored the startled calls of his friends and left all three of them behind as he followed the little golden light through the alley, catching up only to find it perched happily on a streetlight in the form of a small bird, mere blocks away from where Loki had been stabbed by Lor'Vael.

When it spotted him, the bird tilted it's little head down at him questioningly, and then without warning, flew down to join him on the ground, perching itself on Thor's outstretched arm.

The bird looked real, despite its unnatural brightness and, as he got a closer look, the God of Thunder saw it had brilliant jade eyes the same color as Loki's- and it was then Thor instantly knew the strange little creature to be the same he'd often seen with Loki over the past year.

 _"You belong to Loki, don't you?"_ He asked it, gently, knowing full-well it wouldn't answer him as he pet it underneath its beak with his forefinger. He managed a small smile as it chirped approvingly up at him in return, as he added, as an afterthought,  _"What are you doing here?"_

The bird chirped up at the God of Thunder again and flit up its handsome, glistening wings as it lifted up into the air, only to make circles around Thor then perch itself on his shoulder, still chirping happily.

"Thor!"

Thor turned just in time to see Stark land a few meters away. The gold mask of the suit flipped up as Stark approached. The little bird hooted indignantly when he went off on him.

"What were you _thinking_?" Stark demanded of him before Thor could even get a word in first, "What if you'd been attacked? If Lor'Vael got to you before me? And- and what the hell is that?"

Stark stopped talking when he stopped shouting long enough to actually look at him. When he saw the bird, though, he noticeably blanched and recoiled, taking a few steps back.

"What the hell is that?" He repeated, gesturing at it.

"It's Loki's," Thor answered, cautiously, "I don't know anything else."

"That's the bird I saw," Stark told him in amazement, as the bird suddenly fluttered up between them and took off, landing elegantly on the light-post above their heads a few moments later, giving a few short, successive hoots that Thor quietly interpreted as laughter at the scientist's shock, "The one Loki summoned when he fought Lor'Vael."

That wasn't too surprising. After all, Loki had never explained the bird's presence or its specific purpose (nor had Thor ever bothered or remembered to mention it when he had the chance). So, for all the God of Thunder knew, it could have been a physical manifestation of Loki himself just as much as it could have been of his magical powers-

Or, of course, it could just as easily have been neither.

**N._.s._.S**

**"Stark!**   _Wait!"_  Steve shouted, but it was too late. Stark careened over the tops of the two buildings that Thor had just disappeared between. But before the man could head after their friends himself, Banner shoved him with surprising strength that actually managed to topple the unsuspecting Cap over.

"What the hell-?"

_"Shh!"_

Banner slowly knelt down beside him, using the two bikes as cover (which was relatively easy, as both bikes were large models- a sleek, black _Harley Street 750_  motorcycle that belonged to Cap and a  _1960s' Meriden Triumph T120R_ that was Banner's), keeping a firm hand on Cap's shoulder so he wouldn't get back up as he peered over them.

"What did you see?" Cap demanded, keeping his voice low.

"Not what I  _saw_ ," Banner answered, quietly, not looking back at him, "What I  _heard_."

" _I_  didn't hear anything."

"You were never chased for as long as I was..."

It was common knowledge that Banner had been chased for years by the military and God knew what else, thanks to the mass destruction the Hulk was capable of. Banner had somehow managed to elude them all before he eventually caught up with the Avengers and all charges against him were dropped thanks to Fury. As a result, Banner was always looking over his shoulder, and could disappear without a trace in a heartbeat.

"... After something like that, you learn to listen to  _everything_ -"

Before Banner could finish his sentence, the world imploded.

**N._.s._.S**


	33. The Beginning of the End II

****Chapter Thirty-Three: The Beginning of the End II.** **

**" **The end of the world came and my job did not change."****

****\- Daniel H. Wilson.** **

****T** **he first explosion shook and shattered the earth directly under their feet.**** The golden bird roared in an oddly human-sounding display of rage as it jetted off its disturbed perch and flew down right over their heads as Thor shoved himself into Stark to get him out of the way as they kept coming, one right after another.

_"Stark!"_

_"I know!"_

The explosions kept coming, as though someone was lobbing active grenades right at them. The air around them became sootier, denser and darker with each earth-shattering, piercing blow as the rubble rose up suffocatingly around them. Stark scrambled beside him, shooting blindly through the darkness and at their aggressors in a half-mad panic.

Thankfully, though, Thor soon noticed that every time either one of them took a step back or forward, just even an inch or two, they were met with another burst of another three or four more of the invisible bombs, and this was confirmed when he let Stark dash around for a couple more moments, watching his feet carefully.

It was then that the God of Thunder suddenly understood.

"Stop moving!" He ordered, taking hold of Stark's armored shoulder, "You're triggering it!"

Stark heeded him and stopped moving, though he did shrug off Thor's stiff grasp- but just as Thor suspected, the explosions slowly began to fizzle out.

"It's a trap," Stark breathed out, slowly, as the realization dawned on him,"We're trapped."

_You don't say._

When Stark suddenly blanched and swore at something (someone, actually) over the God of Thunder's shoulder, his dark eyes growing alight with shock, dismay, and horror, Thor has to carefully look over his shoulder to see for himself who had spoken, even though he already recognized that haunting, familiar voice, already so terrifyingly close.

It was none other than Lor'Vael himself, who stood just a few feet before them, arms folded primly behind his back, his eyes blazing with what could only have been triumph. At his side, was Kai'Vael, who held his right hand stretched out toward them in a visibly-shaking fist, as though he were all-too ready to snap his fingers to cast the spell that would (quite literally) blow them both away for good.

****N._.s._.S** **

****B** **anner woke slowly, painfully, emerging from the numbing darkness of unconsciousness only to find that the world around him was covered in ash.**** As he slowly sat up, he felt a stabbing pain in the back of his head, and when he rubbed his temples to soothe it, was surprised to find his fingers came away covered in blood.

The explosion had happened fast and without any warning at all, literally right under their noses. Despite their bikes and the shield, both men were blasted back with the force of the blast, and separated. Banner had ended up in the middle of the street more than thirty feet from the smoldering crater but Cap was nowhere to be seen.

He needed to find Cap- and the others.

Unfortunately, when the scientist tried to get back up to his feet, his vision suddenly pitched from left to right and then went completely black, leaving him sprawled on the ground again when he regained consciousness for the second time in the last few minutes.

He lay there for a long time, trying to regain both his bearings and control over himself (it wouldn't be a good idea to  _Hulk-out_ here, at least not right this second), taking in deep breaths before trying again, finding that this time, he could at least walk a few steps before toppling back down.

Well, that was a start, at least, but before Banner could think to try again, a voice stopped him.

_"Banner!"_

Banner looked up again to find Cap rushing down the street toward him. The shield was a little scratched up and Cap favored his right shoulder, but other than that, he looked fine, albeit maybe a little shaken.

"Are you all right?" Cap asked, offering out his hand, and then his support when it became apparent that Banner was still too shaken up to move on his own, "You're bleeding. You didn't hit your head, did you?"

"Yeah, I think I did." Banner answered, keeping his eyes on the ground, ignoring the concerned look on his friend's ashen face as Cap half-carried him toward one of the buildings, "That was one hell of a blast."

"No kidding."

Cap helped him slowly sit down, back against a wall for support, and knelt by him, just as another blast sounded, this one from the street across from theirs (which Banner vaguely remembered Thor and Stark disappearing to just before the explosions) and Cap turned toward it, eyes already narrowing with worsening concern.

The splitting headache came back and Banner rubbed at his temples again.

"We have to find Thor and Tony," Banner said, quietly, as he shakily got back to his feet after a few minutes, using the wall behind him as support, "We've been played."

"Well, at least that won't be so hard," Cap answered, gesturing in the direction of the other explosions, nodding his encouraging approval as Banner finally steadied a little, "They're probably in the same boat we are."

Banner grimaced at him, but before he could say anything, a loud snapping noise stopped him.

_Snap._

Almost as though he knew exactly what was coming, Cap spun around on his heels, already swinging his shield out for cover as he stepped right in front of Banner to take the brunt of the explosion that came seconds later. Naturally, the force of it knocked him back into Banner, who caught him and held tight as he buckled.

He'd let go of the shield and it ricocheted away and disappeared with an ear-shattering clang.

 _Damn, that man is fast,_ An amused voice, sounding far too close already for comfort said, cutting through the stunned silence, forcing Banner to look up from his barely conscious, and now injured, friend, and then releasing the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding,  _And here Lor'Vael said this would be easy!_

Du'Vael, the pink-eyed Huntsman, the one who'd Loki had saved him from when he'd first showed up, emerged from the ashes, a mere couple meters away from where Banner and Cap were, his two silver spears already held aloft in each unnaturally long-fingered hand. Behind him, hand still stretched outward, was Xu'Vael, whose black eyes regarded them both coldly as he let his arm dropped.

 _These Humans are not the same as the others,_ He said, his voice so darkly malicious that it rose the little hairs on the back of Banner's neck on end,  _They will be harder to end._

Keeping his eyes carefully trained on the two Vael in front of him, Banner slowly lowered Cap to the ground, propping him up against the wall before straightening up again. He could feel his heart pounding violently in his chest as he slowly, challengingly, stepped in front of him.

"I'm sorry," He told them, seriously, "But I'm afraid you'll have to get through me first."

Du and Xu'Vael traded glances, and it is the former who replied after a dangerously, silent, tense few moments, elegantly swinging his silver spears over his black, broad shoulders as his companion slowly raises his hand again, excitement already lighting up his coal-black eyes.

_So be it!_

****N._.s._.S** **

****Lor'Vael's eyes never left Thor's as he crossed the short distance between them.**** Unable to move for fear of the explosions Thor knew full well would probably kill Stark long before himself, he was forced to stay perfectly still as Lor'Vael outstretched his hand and dared to touch the side of his face, clear eyes flashing in some sick sort of satisfaction as Stark gave a sharp, outraged intake of breath.

Lor'Vael's skin felt, smelled, and reminded Thor only of burnt leather- unbearably hot and unnaturally smooth and hard, but there was something else underneath that took every ounce of self-control he had not to turn away or make a revolted noise- a haunted touch that felt as though Lor'Vael was touching something so much more than skin.

 _Was it painful,_ Lor'Vael asked, softly,  _To watch your beloved Loki die?_

"Bastard," Stark hissed from his frozen position behind Thor. Lor'Vael turned to look at him, adverting his dead-stare with the God of Thunder at last.

 _You played spectator as well, did you not?_ He said, flatly,  _I can see it in your eyes. Did it pain you so, so-called leader, to watch one who was once your enemy, be murdered doing what you swore you would?_

"Stark, do not listen," Thor warned when Stark swore at Lor'Vael again, this time more fiercely. He knew that Lor'Vael was purposely taunting them both, purposely egging them on for a reaction that would surely end in an explosion when one of them triggered one of the invisible, aloft bombs, "He is goading you."

 _Ah, I have been so easily found out,_ Lor'Vael said, shrugging, his clear eyes flashing again, this time in faint amusement, as he turned back to Thor,  _Did you learn to see though such a deplorable trick by your brother's hand?_

"Shut up!" Stark snapped, "You don't know anything about him!"

 _Oh, I'm afraid that's just not true,_ Lor'Vael answered stepping past Thor and moving to stand in front of Stark,  _I know far more about that Soulless than you ever will._

Stark cursed again, and Thor saw the tell-tale signs of Stark's temper beginning to fail him.

Like with Thor, there were very few people who could stand up to Tony Stark's fury- even fewer than those who could the God of Thunder. When the man lost himself in drink (which happened very, very rarely), that was one thing, but the man's ire was something else entirely. When he was on a warpath, he reminded Thor of the Hulk, but only much smaller, faster, and even less controllable.

"He's goading you, Stark," Thor reminded him, forcing his voice level even as he slowly curled his hand into a fist as Lor'Vael slowly turned back to him, "He's trying to get you to hurt yourself."

 _I know so much more about him than you, too, I should think,_  Lor'Vael said, reaching out to touch him again,  _You never got to touch your brother's soul again before he died, did you? Ah, that pain was so sharp, so sweet. You could practically feel it cracking in your hand. When I stabbed him-_

Thor didn't even have time to brace himself for what came next.

****N._.s._.S** **

****N** **ot many people would take Bruce Banner for a hand-to-hand or close-combat kind of guy.**** That was always Cap's forte- and maybe Natasha and Barton's, or perhaps even Stark's. The quiet scientist just didn't look it.

But then again, not many people knew him for real.

No one, not even his closest friends and allies on the team, knew how many times Banner fought his way out of street-corner fights in Calcutta, or the times he was ambushed by old enemies (like the US military) all around the world for years, backed into a corner and couldn't risk Hulking out in such close proximity to civilians.

_I refuse to be afraid of monsters._

When the first explosion happened, Banner's first instinct was to listen, as always. He found that Xu'Vael, the creator of the explosions, held back while Du'Vael came right at him, clearly intent on doing exactly what he'd done back on the beach- but this time, and without Loki to come to his rescue, Banner knew what was coming.

_Just as you, I believe._

Banner wasn't bluffing when he said he'd remember the conversation he and Loki had had when Thor was unconscious and Stark and Cap had (somewhat cruelly) left the God of Mischief all alone in his misery in the Tower. Banner had felt drawn to him in a way, and was infinitely grateful for everything he'd imparted to him.

 _My_ _monster_ _can be controlled. Yours can't._

Careful to keep in front of Cap at all times, Banner managed to move between the two silver spears his opponent thrust at him, and grab hold of Du'Vael's shoulder, kneeing him him in the lower chest and forcing him back again, just as Xu entered the fray. Banner then grabbed one of the stunned Du'Vael's spears and parried the two powerful blows- and while they forced him to step all the way back, almost right into Cap, he remained unhurt.

_True. But there's something that we have in common._

But even though the battle continued to play out in his favor (mostly) Banner couldn't chance a glance at his friend. He was just barely managing to keep up. The splitting headache he had from the first blast (which was the result of a concussion, though how bad it was, Banner didn't have time to wonder) was back, and while he was successfully gritting his teeth against the pain, his vision kept lighting up and distracting him, at times giving his two opponents free reign, because he couldn't (and wouldn't) let them get past him.

_And what's that?_

The headache grew worse with every jarring blow of Xu'Vael's hammers. Banner had never had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of Mjolnir, but he had a feeling this was a lot like it. With every blow, Banner had to will his knees not to buckle and keep his guard up at all times, because if there wasn't one aiming at his chest, there was another aiming at his back or head. And not to mention that Du'Vael had recovered from Banner's first pummeling had and returned with a vengeance, jabbing his one remaining spear into any part of the good doctor's body he could reach- which was mainly his abdomen and lower torso.

But Banner was relentless and unyielding.

_We won't let [monsters] control us anymore._

_And we won't fear them, either,_ Banner added, silently, as both Vael reeled back and Banner twirled the stolen silver staff, readying himself for the next round. Loki had been strong, despite all the pain and fear he'd felt- and the consequences, Banner was going to follow that example proudly. He refused to be afraid of the Vael anymore, and he was even less afraid of the  _big guy,_  and what they could do, because he knew they could be overcome.

Because he wouldn't watch monsters hurt his friends again.

Behind him, without the scientist's notice, Cap stirred and finally opened his eyes.

****N._.s._.S** **


	34. Fight a Good Fight I

****Chapter Thirty-Four: Fight a Good Fight I.** **

**" **It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair."****

****\- Anonymous.** **

****T**** ** **ony Stark was pissed off- that much was completely damn obvious by now, thank you very much.**** In the year or two Thor had known him, he'd never seen his friend so angry, which made it hard to be furious with him himself with the ridiculously (and truly just fucking stupid) thing Stark had just made.

Without even a warning of any kind, Stark had used one of his repulsor rays, aiming for not Lor'Vael (whom he just barely missed), but instead at Kai'Vael, who was a couple feet behind him. The sorcerer was easily blasted back from the force, but as he landed on the pavement a good twenty feet away, Thor felt the strange, heated pressure around them drop as Kai Vael's magic was disrupted- but before he could even think about doing anything to Lor'Vael, who still stood in front of him, hand on his face, Stark beat him to it.

Lor'Vael was caught totally unprepared when Stark shoved Thor aside and punched him.

The Vael stumbled back with a shocked curse while Kai'Vael got back up to his feet; the black, leathery skin on his chest already visibly cracking open a little with the powerful, unexpected blow, revealing the fibrous white flesh underneath.

"Are you mad, Stark?" Thor demanded of him, though still faintly impressed, as Stark turned to him.

"No, I'm _pissed off_!" Stark snapped, as he slipped back on his mask, "You take Lor'Vael, I take Kai!"

****N._.s._.S** **

****The world came back slowly for Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov.** ** _After many months of being held captive by Lor'Vael and the Black Hunt, and with no idea how close they came to a fate far worse than death, the two S.H.I.E.L.D agents could only smile wearily at each other from across the room._

_Barton gave her the thumbs-up and a grin._

"Made it,"  _He said, quietly, turning away from her as he looked up at the ceiling, still grinning,_  "Thank God."

_Nat knew he wasn't talking about himself._

"Do you think they're fighting now?"

_From where she lay, she could see Barton nod._

"Yeah. I think they are,"  _He replied,_  "I think we've been out a long time, Nat."

"Should we do something?"

_Barton knew without a doubt Nat would get up right now without hesitation, but something held him back even as he slowly sat up, feeling the unused muscles in his body hissing and cracking audibly in protest as he ran his fingers through his hair. As he stared out the window, he spotted an unnaturally gold, small bird sitting on the open window._

_As soon as it saw him, the little bird cawed silently, innocuously at him as it opened its wings._

"No,"  _He said, surprising her (and himself) with the certainty in his voice as he watched it fly away,_ "This isn't our fight."

_Neither of them said another word as Barton slowly lay back down again and closed his eyes._

_He dreamed in gold._

****N._.s._.S** **

****Thank God for Steve Rogers.** **

And no, that wasn't sarcasm.

Banner had already been running on almost empty for a while when Rogers finally got back up, and his exhaustion was becoming obvious. While he could still totally hold his own (much to the ire of his two opponents), he still didn't- and  _couldn't_  even if he wanted to- Hulk-out. Even though he'd been constantly moving, and the strain of it was taking an excruciatingly painful toll, he didn't feel  _the other guy_  in the slightest. His mind was quiet.

There was no anger at all for some reason, just inexplicable calm.

But the good scientist found that it didn't bother him at all.

_You put a lot of thought into this didn't you, Banner?_

_I did._

Anyway, he kept at it, even with the splitting headache and slow-burn beating he was taking. He still had one of Du'Vael's spears, though, and could still parry the bone-shattering blows of Xu'Vael's hammers, which helped him stay afoot for far longer than he'd figured he would.

 _Tired yet?_ Du'Vael demanded of him,  _Why not summon your monster?_

"Sorry," Banner said, coolly, as he stepped out of his jabbing range again, "It doesn't  _quite_ work like that."

That seemed to further agitate his two opponents, and they stepped up faster, hardly giving Banner any time at all to react, and combined with his earlier wounds and the distracting pain of his headache, he couldn't manage anything more than a few more, rather heavy-footed parries.

But his luck had finally run out.

Xu'Vael had finally realizing that blindly stabbing and hitting at Banner was no longer going to work; and had stepped back. He cast out a few more bombs, one of which strayed right in front of the scientist's face when it detonated, bringing Banner down and throwing Du'Vael's silver spear right out of his hands.

Stunned and unable to move thanks to the splitting pain in the back of his head and the pain all over thanks to the merciless beating he'd received from the two Vael that now stood right over him, murder promised in their eyes, Banner closed his eyes and tried, in a last-ditch effort, to will out the Hulk.

It didn't work, and the two hammers and spears came right down over his head.

But they never connected.

Rogers came out of nowhere, already grasping the shield in one arm as he dived for Banner, managing to get right in front of him right as the weapons converged. With an almighty bang, a small quake of the earth under their feet, and a flash of blinding light that reminded them both of what happened those few times where Thor had swung Mjolnir at the shield, both the Vael were sent flying backward and into the street.

Cap slowly got back up to his feet as Banner took several deep, calming breathes.

"Thank God," He said, gratefully, as Cap lowered his shield helped him up.

"You alright?"

"I will be," Banner answered, gesturing at the Vael as they got back up to their feet, "After we stop them."

Cap swung his shield over his shoulder, and his smile broadened.

"I think we can manage that."

Seriously, thank God for Steve Rogers.

****N._.s._.S** **

****"W** ** ****hy do you not fight beside them?"** **

_Loki looked up, startled, from the well for the first time as Mimir spoke over his shoulder, staring at him with black eyes that glisten in rather morbid curiosity._

"This is no longer my fight,"  _Loki answered, simply,_ "It was only ever mine when it needed to be."

_Mimir blinked and gave a sharped-toothed smile._

"You're a piece of work,"  _The old master declared, though with some faint amusement, as he slunk back into the darkness from whence he came,_ "A real peace of work, my little gremlin."

_Loki smirked as Mimir disappeared and returned his attention to the well again, jade-green eyes flashing dangerously as he watched, through the eyes of the little bird that he had fly over the city, zoning in on each of the four very different battles wage before him._

"To each his own,"  _The God of Mischief murmured,_  "Divide and conquer."

****N._.s._.S** **


	35. Banner VS the Duel-Wielding Demon

****Chapter Thirty-Five: Banner VS. The Duel-Wielding Demon.** **

**" **If I got rid of my demons, I'd lose my angels too."****

****\- Tennessee Williams.** **

****He wouldn't fear monsters anymore.** **

And he wouldn't let his friends be hurt by monsters, either.

That's what Banner promised himself after speaking with Loki, what was cemented in the back of his mind after the man was killed, and what Banner thought about as he returned to New York after the disastrous first fight with the Black Hunt. Granted, though, Banner always had the same, vague idea himself- it's how he was able to finally take full control of the Hulk in New York years ago, and how he deals with the  _other guy_ on a daily basis now, even with the constant headaches the destructive creature gives him.

But the real meaning behind all that had never been clearer.

"You ready for this?" Cap asked him, from behind. The two were back to back, Cap with his shield and Banner with nothing but his fists (Du'Vael had taken back his spear, obviously).

"Yeah," Banner answered, keeping his eyes on the slowly advancing Du'Vael, "I am."

"You're not going to..." Cap's voice faded and Banner could sense concerned eyes boring into his back.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Focus on your own monster, Cap. I know what I'm doing."

Banner knew Cap well enough by now to know that the man would leave him be after that- but probably only because he didn't really have much of a choice, what with Xu'Vael slowly moving in on him.

It would begin soon, Banner knew. The tension in the air, the way Du'Vael kept spinning the two spears over his shoulder and then suddenly slamming them both, spearhead first, into the ground and constantly rolling his unnaturally bright, pink eyes, almost in petulant annoyance

_"Lor'Vael's got some sort of connection thing going with the rest of the group that lets him see every move they- and we- make... like some kind of master puppeteer..."_

_They were waiting for orders,_ Banner realized, but before he could say anything, Cap spoke again, his voice low and soft as he slowly turned back to his own opponent.

"Be careful, Bruce."

"Same to you."

At that moment, they heard the loud, tell-tale cracking of thunder, followed by an enraged, jagged strike of lighting, coming down in waves that (probably) matched the fury of the God that summoned them- and between the strikes that shook the ground and sky both, Banner and Cap witnessed a small figure wrapping around them, pursued closely by another, thin black one, high in the sky.

The two figures soon collided and began to tussle, high above the city, both still managing to somehow, neatly dodge strike after strike of lightning that still came forth. But as they fought, one of the bolts suddenly ricocheted off another and seemed to wrap around the two opponents, causing a huge flash of light and an almighty bang.

_"Stark!"_

_"Tony!"_

Unfortunately, before either Banner or Cap could even start to think of what to do next, Du and Xu'Vael seemed to have finally received their orders, for they each moved forward, weapons held aloft and ready.

And so the final battle began.

****N._.s._.S** **

****F**** ** **ighting without the Hulk wasn't difficult, but it sure wasn't easy, either; especially as time wore on- because no matter how hard Banner fought or how fast he moved, he just couldn't get the upper hand on Du'Vael.**** It had been a long time since Banner had been forced to fight hand-to-hand like this without relying on the Hulk to come out and finish it, and even then  _those_  fights had only lasted a few minutes.

Plus, it didn't really help that Du'Vael had been goading him the whole time.

 _Summon your monster, Banner!_ The Vael kept snapping,  _Show me!_

Of course, it would take far more than childish insults or low blows to get Banner to either loose control or willfully bring out the Hulk- he'd had complete control since the incident in New York; and now the memories of Loki and his fearlessness and determination solidified it, perhaps once and for all.

"Like I said, Du'Vael," The good doctor said, coolly, "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that!"

It didn't bother him as much as it used to, the Hulk being called a monster, either- especially now the ugly word was being spewed by the likes of his opponent.. Not many knew that he used to agonize and even nightmare over the fact that his so-called  _"alter-ego"_  was hailed as a monster (or worse) around the world, and had ven sympathized, to a fault with the soldiers and mercenaries contracted to bring him in.

But not anymore.

The time he'd spent with Stark, Rogers, Thor, and even Loki, though in a different way., had helped prove that the Hulk- and, of course himself by extension- weren't nearly as bad as anyone thought, and could really do good if given the chance, but also did something else, something Banner could never, not in a hundred years, even begin to describe, let alone voice, even though he knew his friends deserved to know...

 _"…_ _In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried...! I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth... and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!"_

\- Banner narrowly dived to miss being hit by more lighting-quick jabs of Du'Vael's spears. He stepped in easily and out back again, keeping his dark, calm eyes trained on not the Vael, but the weapons instead, keeping time down to the second, careful not to lash out too soon -

_Back then, he'd been desperate, scared, and alone. There had been absolutely no where else for him to turn, nothing he could loose by that point, and while the looks in his friend's faces when he told them that on the Helicarrier years ago were far from mocking or even judgmental in the least (which he'd truly appreciated at the time) to this day Banner never forgot the horrified, stunned looks they'd given him instead._

_After the battle of New York, he'd gone with Stark and worked with him for a couple weeks, touring Stark Industries and learning more about the "weapons company that kinda doesn't make weapons but kinda still does," before deciding to return underground for a while._

_He'd ended up returning almost immediately though, after hearing about Thor's battle in London._

\- Right as Du'Vael jabbed him again, and the spears passed dangerously close to his right shoulder and between his outstretched arm and abdomen, Banner struck, moving with an unnatural speed that could only have been taught and practiced. He grasped the two spearheads and, before Du'Vael could react, jerked them back again -

_Spending so much time with Stark and Rogers- Stark especially- had given Banner back a missing piece of himself- a piece of his own humanity that had been all but overshadowed by the Hulk and forgotten by all those who were literally out for his blood. It had given him back something he never even realized he'd lost._

_And as time went on, and as he got used to living with Stark and Rogers, and slowly let his guard down, he began to seriously think about his own opinion about himself. Rogers, and later Sam Wilson, a friend of Rogers' in DC who ran a veteran trauma group, both told him repeatedly, that just because a whole lot of people thought he was a monster, that didn't mean he was actually one._

_"This isn't about them," Wilson had told him, "It's about you. What do you think? What do you want?"_

\- The black, thick ;leathery hide protecting Du'Vael's lower belly cracked and shattered under the sheer strength of Banner's knee-kick, but the good doctor wasn't done with the alien yet. When Du'Vael. Stunned and literally howling at the unexpected, painful blow, let go of the two silver spears, Banner did too, and they clattered noisily into the street as Banner grabbed hold of his opponents shoulders and kneed him again. -

_"You can't justify judging yourself like that!" Rogers declared when he finally confronted Banner on the things the latter had told Wilson during their few meetings, "You're not what they say you were. You're my friend, one of the best I've ever had, and you're part of this team. You can't let them demonize you anymore."_

_"You're an idiot," Stark had snapped, staring at him with a truly, angry, but betrayed, look- as though Banner had just stabbed him in the back, "God, you seriously think we'd just give you up? That we'd just... kill you if you went off one day, without even questioning it or trying to stop you because we think you're just some monster anyway?"_

\- The second blow saw more cracking of the black skin, this time in the direct center of Du'Vael's chest, scattering like broken glass onto the street underneath their feet. Du'Vael finally lost his footing and fell back, already writhing in pain as Banner landed right down on top of him, knee already sinking into the white, wet fibrous innards that were left unprotected with the exoskeleton's loss. -

_"What does the word "friend" mean to you, Banner?!"_

_Banner had never realized just how little he trusted people, and worse, how much he hated them, until that moment; how far he cut himself off and refused to let himself get too close to anyone, even Stark and Rogers, both of whom, he later realized, would have gladly risked and even sacrificed their own freedom, and not to mention their own lives, even for just a chance to spare his._

_Because they were "friends."_

Banner and Du'Vael both were gasping. The pain that stemmed from Banner's earlier wounds, (especially the concussion on the right side of his head, which still bled fresh, crimson blood, warm and burning down the side of his face, and forgotten in the stir of their fight) had reignited, but he still managed to keep a firm knee buried in Du'Vael's chest, pinning the writhing creature down by the shoulders.

But for some reason, Du'Vael wasn't bothering to struggle. He just stared up at Banner. His unnaturally bright pink eyes were wide in shock and pain, and when he finally spoke, his voice was faltering, barely above a whisper.

 _You are victorious,_ He admitted, drawing out his words with a long groan as a violent, agonized wracked through his dying body,  _You have,,, defeated me._

Despite knowing that the Vael told the truth, Banner kept his hold tight.

Blazing dark brown eyes clashed with dying pink; until Du'Vael's slowly rolled to the back of his head as his eyelids closed, leaving his broken body a dead, unmoving shadow. Knowing then it was over, Banner finally let go, he sat back as the white, fibrous skin slowly began to fizzle away and the remains of the cracked black, leathery skin dissolved silently into ash, reminding Banner of a cremation, minus the flames.

The good doctor just sat there until it had dissolved completely.

And, for the record, his eyes never flickered green even once.

****N._.s._.S** **


	36. Rogers VS The Hammers From Hell

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Rogers VS. The Hammers From Hell.**

**" **You can't hammer in a nail with words... but you can start a war with them."****

**\- Ben Galley.**

**C** **ap dived into a small alleyway, managing to get behind a dumpster just as the air behind him crackled and exploded.** He landed heavily on the ground, but wasted no time quickly pulling himself back to his feet and throwing his shield up in a futile attempt to dampen the blow from the next blow. It didn't do any good, though, and he ended up loosing his footing again anyway, rendering him trapped and (mostly) defenseless as Xu'Vael approached out of the swirling, ashen remains of his magic.

_It is useless,_ The Vael growled at him, swinging his two hammers dangerously close, as though he meant to smash them together again and create another powerful explosion soon, _You are trapped._

Cap didn't bother to answer the taunt. Instead, he slowly got back to his feet again, keeping his blazing, steely-blue eyes trained on his foe, swinging his shield over his shoulder again as Xu'Vael stepped closer, obviously preparing for another blow.

_Your shield is made out of some strong stuff,_ Xu'Vael commented, suddenly, after a long, tense silence,  _It has held up so resiliently against my Hell Hammers. Such a feat is unheard of._

"It's no ordinary shield,"Cap answered, hoping to buy time,"Not even Mjolnir can make a dent."

_Mjolnir was forged within the heart of a dying star,_ Xu'Vael's pitch-black eyes flashed rather thoughtfully at Cap as he replied, quite calmly,  _Or so I have heard. Such Asgardian tales are not meant to be taken seriously, as their Aesir tellers usually inflate them to justify their inbred arrogance._

Cap had a sneaking feeling Xu'Vael had just insulted Thor, and his fists clenched at the thought.

_Much like the Jotun, the Aesir often believe themselves to be on a much higher level than the other Realms, Steve Rogers- though obviously it is quite the opposite, X_ u'Vael continued, ignoring the obvious anger mounting behind Cap's steely eyes as he added,  _But I assume fighting alongside Thor Odinsson and his intrepid little brother have taught you so?_

"You're wrong," Cap told him, quietly, after the silence had drawn out for a moment.

_Am I?_  Xu'Vael chuckled, hefting up his hammers again,  _How now?_

"Thor and Loki fought to protect Earth and stop you- they were our allies, and our friends, no matter Loki's dealings with us in the past," Cap declared, surprising himself with the sheer certainty and strength in his voice, "And Loki even gave his life to save us, and give us a chance to take you down."

At that, Xu'Vael  _actually laughed._

The Vael's laugh was high, chilling, and truly one of the strangest, terrifying things Rogers had ever heard or even seen in his life- and he'd faced down the likes of HYDRA, the Red Skull, Alexander Pierce, the Gods of Thunder and Mischief, an infuriated Hulk- and not to mention a drunk Tony Stark- without so much as a blink of an eye.

_You truly believe that makes any difference?_ Xu'Vael demanded with a mocking, dismissive shake of his head, black eyes positively alight in mirth,  _All he did was get himself out of the way, saving Lor'Vael the trouble of wringing his neck himself._

The image of Loki lying unnaturally still, covered in sheets, back in the Med Bay of Stark Tower flashed in front of Cap's eyes, closely followed by the nightmarish one of Thor sitting covered in his brother's blood in the middle of an empty, flooded Boston street, cradling the body against his chest, his formerly brilliant, azure eyes painfully dark and broken; made Cap's blood boil instantly.

Without waiting for his opponent to act first, and without a word, Cap threw the shield, and since Xu'Vael hadn't expected the super-soldier to attack so soon, he was caught completely off-guard against it.

There was a sickening, splitting crack as the shield hit Xu'Vael square in the forehead. The force was so great that it made Xu'Vael drop his two hammers as he was rocketed backwards, landing a good thirty or forty feet away and even then flipping several times over before finally coming to a rest. Of course, the brilliantly-colored Vibranium shield ricocheted off the ground with its impact and was thrown through the windows of the building behind the Vael and unceremoniously disappeared again.

Cap dashed across the street after the Vael after it became clear that Xu'Vael wasn't moving anytime soon, hoping the blow had been enough to silence the terrible creature for good.

The soldier knelt by his fallen foe, cautiously peering into the emptiness of the creature's eyes.

Xu'Vael lay spread eagle on the ground, his eyes just barely open, black hair splayed across his face, shoulders, and over the ground he rested on.

It was then that Cap finally got a really good look at him.

He saw the unnatural sharpness of the Vael's body, lean muscle and black, smooth exoskeleton replacing where normal skin and curves should have been; saw the white, bloodless fibers exposed by the breaking of it, already starting to sizzle and burn away under the dim light of the distant horizon.

_You are a fool if you believe this makes any difference at all._

Cap stared down at the Vael as Xu'Vael's dark eyes flickered open again. Even as Cap drew cautiously away, clearly expecting another attack, the dying creature paid no mind.

"Every little bit counts," He stated, gravely, as Xu'Vael shuddered violently at his feet, "Every fight, every struggle, everything always counts in the end."

_Such simplicity is a Human's lot,_ Xu'Vael answered,  _My death does not prove you are right._

"And just because you have lost doesn't mean you're a martyr, either."

_A martyr?_ Xu'Vael blinked up at him,  _That is not even close to what I am._

"And what are you, then?"

Xu'Vael's answer was brief, but grave.  _A servant._

Other than what Loki had told them about the Vael and the Black Hunt in general, Cap had little to no knowledge about Vael culture; but something about that response bothered him.

"Is that what they told you?"

_They did not need to._

Xu'Vael watched with some faint, grim amusement as Cap let that sink in before continuing.

_That is what is wrong with humanity. Even that peacenik fool Hernsson acknowledged it before his little coup,_ He declared softly, closing his eyes as his body shuddered again,  _You put far too much stock in freedom; decrying the lack of it as 'oppressive' and 'evil.'_

"That's because it is."

At that, Xu'Vael laughed again; but unlike last time, his laugh was now more amused than derisive, and it had lost that unnerving, chilling edge.

_How can you be so certain?_ He asked quietly,  _What if I tell you that many of the souls my Lord stole from your people, were wrought with anguish and suffering akin to the damned? When some were so vile that it empowered our Curse more than hindered it?_

"If you mention the bad, then you have to mention the good," Cap answered, sternly, "I'll bet some of the souls fought back- I know Nat and Barton did."

_They were weak,_ Xu answered, dismissively,  _They had near no bearing on stopping us._

"But they did fight."

_Yes, they fought, Steve Rogers,_ The Vael said, shortly, with a roll of dark eyes and uninterested shake of his head,  _But they were nowhere near strong enough to overpower the Curse... or us._

"But they fought," Cap repeated, strongly, "And that counts for something."

_Why are you so hell-bent on that fact?_  Xu'Vael demanded, impatiently,  _Yes, your 'good' people fought. Yes, they managed to hinder our Curse by a couple of hours. But in the end, it will change nothing!_

"You're wrong."

Cap thought about Sam Wilson, one of the first souls taken by the Vael in one of the very first attacks, the one against Washington DC.; about Nat and Barton, the countless civilians taken- and of course, fleetingly, about a certain someone else who may or may not have been taken too.

_"Man, you got to think,"_ Wilson had told him,  _"Your team needs you more than he needs you right now. You got to go back to New York, before whatever the hell those monsters are get here. You can go back to finding him_ after  _we beat them."_

Of course Cap had no choice but to listen to him; and just a couple hours later the Vael, hit DC, taking Wilson with.

He and Wilson had been on hot on the trail of the Winter Soldier for months by the time the Vael finally showed up- and Cap had been so close to getting him back before Wilson- and 600,000 other people- disappeared. They'd had a hell of a time getting to him, too, what with HYDRA remnants hot on their tails- and Bucky's- and HYDRA attacking Stark when his back was turned in Malibu in order to finally shake them off.

_"You're worse than Banner!"_  Stark had shouted when Cap finally came clean about the whole thing (that nearly got all of them killed), pointing at the stricken, good doctor as he added,  _"Christ, can none of you just trust anyone?!"_

That time, Stark had been literally pulling out his own hair in frustration. It had turned into a full-scale shouting match- but this time, it had been the opposite of the usual. This time, Stark was yelling at Cap for being reckless; this time, it had been Cap to go back on his promise to be careful.

This time, Stark was actually right for once.

"It changes everything."

Despite all of it, though- despite his best effort- James Barnes disappeared once more.

_You are a fool, then._ Xu'Vael stated, dully, shaking his head again, keeping his eyes closed, _Some of the people that lived on your planet rival the evils of Ceil Zak'Vael, and even by far surpass him. Why should you fight for this world, knowing that legacy can still live on?_

His words were sharp, but Cap didn't let them get to him at all. The Vael before him, he knew, was goading him to talk back, to argue, but for what reason, Cap didn't know.

The crack in Xu'Vael's face, just above his eyes where the shield had hit him, combined with the impact with the ground, had cracked open his thick, leathery black skin all over his body. The white, stringy fibers that made up his innards were slowly beginning to separate, take to the frigid air, and then dissipate in the slowly lightening sky.

"Because I know good still exists," Cap answered, seriously, as he finally locked eyes with his his fallen, dying opponent, brilliant, steely-gray eyes pitted for what would be the last time against beetle, cold black ones, "That's who I fight for, and always will."

_That is quite a noble sentiment..._

Xu'Vael stirred, and his eyes opened, and Cap flinched and suddenly drew away again.

_But I'm afraid it still changes nothing!_

But it was too late.

Before Cap could realize what Xu'Vael was doing, his foe suddenly clapped his disintegrating, broken hands together one last time, resulting in one last and suicidal explosion that could be seen from all corners of the city, and even over the clouds.

Without the shield to protect him this time, everything went black.

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he blast was stronger than any of the ones before it.** It shook the ground, shattered it and brought entire buildings crashing down in gargantuan heaps of stone and broken glass. But even through all that chaos around him; it was still none other than Bruce Banner who braved it as he dashed through to find his friend.

_"Cap!"_

Banner knew his friend had survived the blast- he had to have survived, dammit! This was Cap they were talking about; the guy who who jumped out of helicopters without a parachute just because he could. This was the guy who could get up the stairs to the loft from the ground floor before the elevator (and won that stupid $100 bet against Stark without even breaking a sweat).

_I'll bet you a hundred that my elevator is faster than you._

_Seriously?_

_Do I look like I'm kidding?_

_You're on, Stark._

He  _had_  to make it.

Because Banner would be really, seriously angry if after all this, it would be some trick that killed him.

As he approached the place where he'd last seen Cap (he'd been following them ever since beating Du'Vael) he found the shield, half-stuck up in a pile of rubble. He pulled it out, turning the large, brightly-colored shield in his hand before putting it under his arm and continuing on, moving only a little ways forward before something made him stop in his tracks.

"Oh, thank  _God._ "

**N._.s._.S**

**"Easy now, Cap.** It's all right now, I've got you..." Banner said, soothingly, as he helped Cap to his feet, making sure that the super-soldier didn't collapse as he half-carried him out of the rubble, grateful that at the moment his friend was at least strong enough to walk because he knew he didn't have a chance at actually carrying him anywhere right then, "I've got you."

Banner peered into his friend's eyes and smiled as they slowly flickered open again.

"Want to know what I think, though?" Banner asked, letting his smile broaden as Cap mumbled some nonsensical, shuddering response back- but whether his voice shook from cold, pain, or shock from the blast (or from all three, which was certainly possible, of course), the good physician couldn't tell just then as he helped Cap slide down against the wall of one of the still just barely standing buildings, already checking his wounds, and after thankfully only finding scrapes and bruises, sat beside him; kindly letting his friend lean against his shoulder and close his eyes.

"... I think you really should've let Tony install that retraction signal in you shield," He said, pointing at the shield he'd set on the ground before the explosion, "It probably would've been useful in that explosion."

Without bothering to retort, Cap just grimaced at him.

Overhead, unnoticed by the exhausted Captain and his wearily-chuckling friend, a little golden bird flitted up into the broken black clouds swirling dangerously in the air.

**N._.s._.S**

**"T** **hat was a bit anticlimactic, I think...** but of all the dirty, rotten, under-handed tricks...!"  _Mimir chuckled with a leering, wolfish grin, leaning rather creepily over Loki's shoulder and peering into the Well himself, b_ _lack eyes lighting up in some sick mirth,_  "I like it!"

_Loki's reply was short, prompt, and almost entirely expected._

"Shut up, Mimir."

**N._.s._.S**

****


	37. Stark VS The Magic Maniac

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Stark VS. The Magic Maniac.**

**" **Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."****

**\- Arthur C. Clarke.**

**I** **f Tony Stark hadn't been smart enough to dive through Thor's violent, jagged spate of lightning, already knowing full-well that it would overcharge his suit and allow him to use the extra power for a full-powered repulsor blast, he would be dead right now.**

It was that simple, and that terrifying.

Just as Thor, Axel Hernsson, and pretty much everyone else had told him; Kai'Vael lived right up to the whole "super-insane-right-hand-man of the bad guy" thing.

And not to mention, he wielded magic.

There were two big reasons why Tony Stark hated the very idea of magic; the first being that, as one of the most brilliant, weapons-designing geniuses in the world, he refused to believe that magic was just something "science couldn't explain," because to him,  _science explained everything._

Magic was just something science hadn't figured out _yet._

Unlike Banner, who took an interest in Thor's lengthy explanations, Stark remained steadfast in his belief that he could figure out Thor's "magic tricks" if given enough time, and while his attempts usually either failed miserably or ended getting him put in the Med Bay, he kept at it just to make a point.

And maybe just to be a little bit of a troll.

" _I shall gladly show you that these are no tricks, Stark."_

" _The only way you can do that is to explain exactly how it works."_

The second reason was that Stark just did not want to acknowledge that some part of his world, a world created and run by some of the greatest technological advances in the history of mankind, could be overrun, and even one day overshadowed, by something that couldn't be explained by any of it.

It insulted- and maybe even scared- him to think that all his work could mean nothing, if only because of people like Thor and Loki, or creatures like the Vael.

" _I cannot."_

Now though, he was up against Kai'Vael; who, lo-and-behold, was a bonafide sorcerer. This wasn't going to be like taking down super-terrorists like HYDRA, the Mandarin, or even Justin Hammer in all his stupid glory, because Kai'Vael, put simply, wasn't like any of them, if only because of his magic.

He was an alien, literally and figuratively; someone Stark couldn't predict, couldn't anticipate.

" _Then they're just magic tricks. Simple as that."_

Hell, he could barely even  _keep up_ with him.

( _Sir! Hostile rapidly approaching the left!)_

Snapped out of his thoughts, Stark veered right- but it was too late.

Darkness clamped down over him, crushing over the suit and pulling his limbs back together, rendering him completely paralyzed as Kai'Vael emerged from the clouds after another jagged stroke of lighting struck dangerously close between them.

Thor must see him, Stark belatedly realized, Is he trying to get me free from down there?

It sucked to realize how helpless he was against the onslaught of magic- it was like a slap to the face, to think that he was just so far behind when it came to all this nonsense; it made him (almost) regret not learning about it when Thor had offered to show him.

 _They told me you were a scientist, someone who doesn't believe in what you mortals call "magic,"_ Kai'Vael sneered at him, dark brown eyes flashing in what only could have been sick mirth as Stark struggled underneath his suffocating grasp, _But if that is true...why do you pit yourself up against me?_

Stark had gone after Kai'Vael for several reasons- the big one being that Thor obviously had dibs on Lor'Vael after what happened to Loki; and Stark wasn't fool enough to infringe on that even as much as as he did, in fact, want to.

He respected Thor far too much than to just take his vengeance away from him like that.

Unlike Cap, Stark totally believed in the whole  _"an eye for an eye"_  mantra, especially in Loki's case, because he knew  _for a fact_  that the God of Mischief would have done the exact same thing if it had been Thor murdered in his place; and maybe even if it had just been anyone else on the team.

"Because I wanted to," Stark declared, as another strike of lighting came down dangerously close again, so close that it sent a powerful jolt through the suit and even caused a few errant strands of Kai'Vael's thick, black hair stand on end due to the conducted static.

( _Suit power at 291%. I highly recommend releasing extraneous power.)_

 _How very courageous of you,_  Kai'Vael answered, shortly, though the way he rolled his eyes as he spoke clearly conveyed the opposite,  _But it is no wonder you mortals live such short lives._

_(Suit power at 309%. Discharge required before unit overcharges.)_

_("Give me a sec!")_

"We live long enough," Stark retorted heatedly, with another fruitless jerk of the black, converging binds tying him, "Long enough to stop you!"

Kai'Vael rolled his eyes again.  _We are the harbingers of Midgard's doom, just as we are Asgard's. My people are superior, and we will crush any who dare question that._

_(Suit power up to 348%. Sir, power discharge required now, or the result will be-)_

_("I know!")_

Just then, there was another strike of lightning, right over their heads, and as it came down it lit up the black, angry swirling clouds encasing them, and Stark noticed that they had, by chance, drifted right out over the sea- and that was enough to get Stark's (in)famous mind straight to work.

_("JARVIS, activate the water mod.")_

_(But the charge-)_

_("Just do it!")_

_(… Yes, right away, sir.)_

"Your magic might be strong, but there's something you're missing!"

_And what's that?_

"Science!"

_(Activating mod now!)_

**N._.s._.S**

**They blew up.**

Well, that's not totally, technically accurate, but it's close to what actually happened. JARVIS wasn't lying when he said that the charge was too much- in fact, that's probably what the reliable old AI had tried telling him before he engaged the mod.

But that's exactly what Stark had wanted.

He'd been accused a number of times- mainly by Pepper and Cap- of being suicidal, especially after what happened in New York, when he got hold of the nuke Fury's goons had shot at them and flew it into Loki's  _portal-of-doom_ ; knowing full-well he probably wouldn't be coming back.

Well, thank God, he  _did_  come back, but that wasn't the point.

And then, a few months before Thor came back, before all this nonsense with the Vael started, there had been an "incident" in Malibu. While, thanks to a few HYDRA goons- and a certain wayward former Sergeant- it was eventually proven that it hadn't been Stark's fault at all, Cap (who was later found to have unintentionally made him a target in the first place) initially blamed it all on him.  _Initially,_  they all thought that Stark himself had caused the explosion that left him with broken bones, a nasty concussion, and pretty much comatose for exactly six days.

Of course- before they found out what had really happened- Rogers was absolutely livid, but it took forever for Stark to realize why.

_You can't put yourself in danger like that, Stark! You could have died!_

_I could have died plenty of times!_ Stark had brilliantly retorted, _But I didn't, so there._

_That's not the point!_

Of course, when he was finally vindicated Stark had wanted to rub it in when they found out the truth-

Or he would have, anyway, hadn't it not been so damned complicated.

And he not been totally pissed off with an entirely different matter.

Anyway, during the first argument, Banner had prevented a complete blowout between Stark and Rogers by dragging Stark off, and had looked over the healing wounds back in the Med Bay, and when he was asked what he thought, Banner looked at Stark for a long moment, then chuckled and shook his head.

_I don't think you're suicidal, no._

_Good, because I'm not-_

_But I do think you like the dramatization of it._

_What?!_

_You like the idea of being a martyr; the dramatization of death. Maybe it's just because you're you... or because you genuinely feel that it's better you than us,_  Banner had said, quite casually, pulling out a few more bandages and tape as though he were just discussing the weather,  _But that's not true._

_You're as much a part of this team as I am no, if not more. If it weren't for you, then I probably wouldn't have lasted here for as long as I have. If you suddenly weren't around... it'd probably tear everyone apart again... For as much as you like to play the lone wolf, Stark, you're the glue that keeps us all together._

_I never thought about that._

_That's because for all you've learned about yourself these past few months... you are still selfish._

Okay, that one had hurt.

Those words were like a knife, clean and piercing.

**N._.s._.S**

**O** **bviously, Kai'Vael met his end in the depths of the raging water; but that didn't stop the darkness that his writhing form still sent out through his last, dying breaths, much like a pseudo-materialized Curse with the sole purpose of dragging Stark down with him.**

_(– Sir!)_

Try as hard as he might, Stark failed to fight his way out of the drowning, suffocating blackness that dragged him further and further down. It was as though thousand-pound chains had locked onto him, and even the water-mod couldn't cut through them.

_But you tried._

_I did try to hurt myself once, but I'm not proud of it; and I've told you that several times already,_ Banner had answered, patiently, without looking up from his work,  _But after that, after I knew it was futile, I didn't try it again. I didn't blatantly chase death, unlike you. If it doesn't work once, why would I tempt fate?_

The blackness converged again, and Stark finally let his eyes close as JARVIS' panicked voice was finally drowned out by something else, a roaring, odd pulsing that wracked through his entire body and seemed to make everything else disappear as the memory continued on, unbidden.

_You wanted to try again though, didn't you?_

_I knew the result would be the same._

_But you wanted to, right?_

_For a long time... yes, I did. But then I realized something that made me loose all desire to try again._

…  _What did you realize?_

_I realized that I had somewhere to belong. And as long as I had that, I had a reason-_

_(- … Activating automatic emergency pulse!)_

**N._.s._.S**

**They found Stark on the beach.**  They found him even as Thor's battle raged far, far above them and the city, and despite the lightning practically threw itself down through the black, furiously swirling clouds above, blocking out the rising sun in the distant horizon, and the ear-piercing thunder roaring though the suddenly empty, burning air.

And, miraculously, he was alive.

Injured and just barely conscious, but alive.

"You were right," He told Banner, staring up into the black sky, "You were right."

Banner just smiled at him.

"Thanks JARVIS," Banner muttered to the AI when Stark finally closed his eyes, and Banner easily lifted the young man, suit and all, over one shoulder and carried him off, "Thanks for saving him."

_(Of course, sir.)_

**N._.s._.S**

****


	38. Fight a Good Fight 2

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Fight a Good Fight II.**

" **It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair.**

**\- Anonymous.**

" **W** **hat'cha doing, birdie?"**   _Mimir ground out between clenched teeth, sounding truly menacing for the first time as he made a swift grab for the golden bird as it fluttered ceremoniously down from its comfortable perch on the God of Mischief's shoulder into the silvery translucent pool of the Well- but the Old Master missed, and the Bird landed silently in the water, the movement sending soft ripples through the formerly perfectly still image of Thor and Lor'Vael, who were standing just inches from one another, completely motionless, on a devastated, Midgardian road, trapped in a duel of silent wills between bright, powerful azure eyes, and remarkably calm, clear white ones, that neither seemed ready or willing to break._

"Perhaps he wants to watch the show?"  _Loki offered with an amused little smirk._

"Why, you sly, snake-tongued little-"  _Mimir began to snap, peevishly, as he dipped a long-fingered hand into the water, just out of reach of the bird; only to interrupt himself and snatch it back again with a sharp yelp and a harsh, guttural snarl when the bird bit him- hard enough to draw the Old Master's blackish blood, mind you- when he came too near,_  "- To Helheim with you, then, you wretched, insolent little creature!"

_Of course, the Soul-Bird completely ignored the furious Old Master's outbursts and his continued torrent of abuse, and brazenly dipped its head into the water, taking several deep, long draughts of the clean, translucent water, which caused both combatants on Midgard to disappear completely, before beating its wings and tossing water into the air at its spectators before settling down and cawing in clear content._

"Interesting,"  _Loki asked, slyly, as Mimir waved his hand back and forth to force away the sharp, rather unexpected pain of the bird's bite; his black, abyss-like eyes narrowed dangerously as Loki added, quite boldly,_  "Have you been finally met your undone by a mere, childish soul, Old Master?"

_Mimir's entire body seemed to tighten at those brazen words, and he slowly drew himself back to his full, insurmountable height as his pale while lips parted into an indignant grimace at the insulting, cheeky comment; revealing perfectly jagged, unnaturally bright white fangs, as he turned to reply._

"I'm afraid that I must concede that you are only slightly smarter than you look, my little gremlin…"  _The Old Master finally began, quietly, remarkably toneless and keeping his black eyes locked on the bird before turning to look straight at Loki's bright, mischievous jade-green ones as he continued,_  "… However, remember that I am not so old yet as to be above ripping out your pretty, silver tongue for your insolence."

_This time, Loki knew better than to retort- but only because he knew with a grim, absolute certainty that Mimir wouldn't hesitate for even a split-second before making good on this particular threat._

_He certainly hadn't ever before, after all._

**N._.s._.S**

**N** **ever before had thunder roared so viciously, so strongly; or lighting stricken so close to the ground, slamming into the earth and decimating all that dared stand in its deadly path.** The flaming, azure strikes struck jaggedly from Mjolnir, cracking the ground at the God of Thunder's feet; and freely devastating the very-breakable world around him, evaporating the very air and catching fire to the dry, unbreathable ash that remained, shattering glass to dust, flipping cars with the sheer raw power and- above all- offer the world a glimpse of an almighty power that it could only ever hope to never provoke upon itself.

For all the stupid jokes about him, for those times that he let himself play fool; the God of Thunder, Thor Odinson of Asgard, by far outmatched his Human companions- and they all knew it. For all the Hulk could throw at him, for all Tony's undisputable genius, for all Barton's deadly shots and Natasha's unmatched cunning, and even all of SHIELD's manpower and weaponry, none  _could_  match him- not even together.

Because Thor had never felt the need to show anyone just how truly dangerous he was.

Until now.

Standing before him, standing less than twenty meters away, was the source of all this destructive fury. Though he knew his foe had already lost- though he knew without pause that his enemies' allies would fall; that their plans to destroy practically all that he loved would fail; and that Loki, the object of all the Vael's obsessions and ultimately their true downfall- was still alive and well despite everything they'd thrown at him- he was still alive; and it was not only his duty to Midgard, but to Asgard, the Nine Realms, and everyone else they'd threatened that demanded an end to this, once and for all; it was something more, a  _rage_  Thor knew only too well.

It was  _rage_  that commanded his enemy fall beneath his own hand.

And, as much as Thor didn't want to admit it, he freely followed it.

**N._.s._.S**

" **... O** **f course, you know that each Realm is connected,"**   _Loki said, smartly, leaning over Thor's broad shoulder and scanning the pages of the well-read, ancient book he held,_   **"That much is obvious, right?"**

" **But how are they connected, brother?"**   _Thor groaned back, and the God of Mischief rolled his bright, jade-green eyes in apparent, almost impatient exasperation,_ **"What's the point?"**

" **It is so that all of us, together, can grow. To this day, all Yggdrasil thrives on an interbred sense of community. It helps us become stronger and cleverer,"**   _Loki explained, patiently, sitting down next to his older brother and taking the book from his hands,_ **"You remember the story of what happened to the Dark Elves, don't you? They say that when a branch of Yggdrasil, or what we call the 'Tree of Life,' becomes corrupted, it's cut off from the other Realms so that the disease won't spread."**

" **But anger and greed aren't diseases."**

" **Are you so sure about that, brother?"**

" **Do you think that they are?"**

" _Yes, Thor," Loki's eyes flashed oddly as he answered, and he rose quietly back to his feet, gently clasping the book shut and folding it under his arm as Thor made to follow suit, and so blissfully unaware that he would one day, so tragically, prove his own words right,_   _and choosing his words carefully as to ensure he was understood,_   **"I think they're the most powerful, dangerous weapons anyone could ever wield."**

**N._.s._.S**

**F** **or all this time, Lor'Vael hadn't moved.** He seemed content on simply watching; as he hadn't even drawn out his blade even though shattered glass, rock, and flaming ash flew at him from every which direction, freely colliding with his pitch-black, leather hide and even burning away long, iron-strait tendrils of his long, silk-smooth hair, with the sheer heat. None of the chaos seemed to bother- or even surprise- him in the slightest, which only served to aggravate the God of Thunder and further agitate his impatient fury.

 _Such a pretty rage, Thor Odinson,_ Lor'Vael finally stated, breaking their silent battle of wills at last, adverting his clear-eyed, shrewd gaze and looking up at the blackening sky, watching strikes of lighting tear apart the burning, ashy sky, and blinking as it roared furiously over his head,  _But can you wield it so?_

_"Watch me!"_

Finally, Thor moved; just as another jagged stroke of lightning was unleashed from the clouds, coming down with an ear-shattering boom to hit the already-decimated ground between them. As they came down, one after another, Thor moved between the jagged strokes with a well-practiced finesse, already swinging Mjolnir to prepare it for collision, summoning with it more crackling, raw azure power.

Lor'Vael was ready for him.

The first collision shook the earth. Azure lightning and pitch darkness collided in an almighty, uneven burst as Mjolnir finally connected with its target. Lor'Vael's arms didn't buckle as Mjolnir hit, but the ground around him, formerly clean and unmarred by Thor's prior fury, shattered the moment of impact. Darkness surged about, and shot out at the mighty hammer and the man wielding it with deadly purpose.

Thor jumped back and lighting struck the black tendrils that reached out for him, evaporating them near instantly the moment they connected. He easily batted aside the long, leering arms while at the same managed to keep in time to Lor'Vael's swift movements. Since his scythe had been long-since destroyed by Thor in the first battle they'd fought, he was using a regular sword; long enough for good reach, but still thin enough to slip between a bone or two if the God of Thunder slipped and let him get to close.

Neither of them spoke a single word. There were no taunts, no curses or low-blows dealt between the two warriors. There was a simple sort of respect; a quiet acknowledgement of the other's strength and prowess on the field. And despite the rage still pounding in his ears, Thor was not about to break that. Though there was no hesitation or doubt remaining in either of them- they would certainly kill their opponent if granted even a single split-second chance- they weren't about to tempt ill-fate by doing so by cheating.

And there was no need to, besides.

No, definitely not anymore.

**N._.s._.S**

**L** **oki's brilliant, shrewd gaze isn't torn away from the scene playing out in the Well until he caught a swift movement behind him, and Mimir murmured some raspy, intelligible Curse under his breath, displeased at this new, unexpected visitor to his hollow rocky halls.**

Why do you so intend to vanish?

_Loki is loath to turn from the battle, and it shows in how hesitantly he looked up. His jade-green eyes dilate in recognizable annoyance as he took in the long, lean form of Axel Hernsson emerging from a corner, slowly removing his white hood and staring at him with wide, unsurprised maroon eyes._

"How now?"  _Mimir snapped, quick to defend his pupil. He drew close to Hernsson, suspicion clouding the Old Master's movements. Mimir certainly wasn't used to unannounced visitors. Mimisbrunnr was hidden too deep and too well for anyone- save for Loki- to just stumble upon. It took a well-trained eye and a daring spirit to simply enter the domain of an Old Master, and Mimir was certainly not going to be pleased if he was forced into moving his ancient, sacred sanctuary- again- for some blundering fool who had no idea what he was doing in the first place._

_However, before he could actually say such, Axel beat him to it._

_Hernsson bowed._  I am Axel Hernsson, Honored Lord of the Vaelheim, Old Master Mimir.

_Mimir's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but he said nothing as Hernsson turned to Loki again._

Why do you so intend to vanish, Odinson?  _Hernsson repeated, slowly folding his arms and flashing Mimir a cautious look- it seemed as though even as powerful as he probably was, even the Honored Lord was, thankfully, about as weary of turning his back on Mimir as Loki himself,_  Why do you hide now?

"Who said anything about hiding? I am here, in plain sight, as I always have been,"  _Loki answered, as Mimir slunk back to his Well and the little golden bird that remained comfortably in the water, pointedly peering into it- but Loki noticed that the Old Master's six ears were on them, and not on the battle going on before him,_  "The better question, Hernsson, is why you have persistently followed me here."

Obviously to see what you were up to all this time,  _Hernsson replied, with a hint of exasperation coloring the edges of his even, resounding voice as he stepped closer to the God of Mischief and unfolded his arms,_  I am returning to Midgard to apprehend Lor'Vael, and would have liked to have seen you care enough to join me in doing so.

"Why would I now?"  _Loki countered,_  "And you're a bit too late for apprehending anyone."

_Is that so?_

"Yes,"  _Loki confirmed without even a moment's hesitation,_  "Thor is taking him now, as we speak."

_Axel Hernsson was silenced for a long moment. His large, sharp maroon gaze stared, as though right through Loki, toward the well that Mimir was already peering down at, apparently too interested in whatever was happening right then to be paying attention at the Vael's stare._

I see,  _He finally said,_  Then I suppose I shall be on my way. Fare thee well, Odinson.

_Loki turned his back on the Honored Lord as he returned his attention to more pressing matters._

_Undaunted, Axel Hernsson lifted his white hood back over his head and, without a noise, slipped back out of the Mimisbrunnr as silently and as unexpectedly as he had first come._

**N._.s._.S**

**B** **lackness converged between Thor Odinson and Lor'Vael, circling them in, closing out the torn city beyond and closing themselves to the prying eyes of anyone daring enough to watch.**

 _You are truly a son of Odin,_ Lor'Vael said, as they drew apart the next time, straightening and brushing his long bangs out of his eyes. Thor didn't bother replying, keeping Mjolnir swinging at his side to keep the tendrils of pure blackness that kept trying to creep up on him at bay, the lightning managing to reach him despite the closed off cyclone of dark and debris, So much more powerful than, I daresay, your adoptive brother.

"Loki is my equal," Thor answered, tonelessly, though his bright azure eyes flashed in obvious annoyance at the Vael's comments, "He beat both your Curses."

 _How novel. You're defending him again,_ Lor'Vael said with a sigh and a shake of his head, as though he had expected nothing less- and it disappointed him that he was right-  _Just as he defended you, to his last breath._

This time, Thor didn't answer, and Lor'Vael sighed again.

 _You two. So different, and yet so the same,_ He continued, _You defend each other, respect each other, and held each other up. Did you trust him so, not to betray you again? How did you know he wouldn't stab you in the back again?_

"He is my brother."

 _Yet that same brother betrayed you time and time again before,_ Lor'Vael demanded, shrewdly, and Thor's grasp over Mjolnir tightened angrily at the painful reminder,  _He betrayed you over your father's throne. Over this, New York City. Over the life of your beloved Jane. Over your friends, your teammates. Over that weapon in your hand._

Thor glanced down at Mjolnir, momentarily distracted.

_**I wish I could stand behind you for this. I truly do. I wish I could be at your side- and father's too- but I don't know if that will ever be possible again…** _

Thor looked back up at Lor'Vael again and tightened his grasp again.

…  _ **I wish I could stand beside you like I did two years ago, staring down at our enemies with confidence; knowing you had my back and you trusting that I'd always have yours, and that there was nothing in the world that could hope to stop us.**_

 _How can you still trust him,_  Lor'Vael asked, seriously, as lightning converged on him again in an thunderous warning,  _After he has drawn your blood more times than you may count? That he has conspired against you countless times? That he, himself, caused you and your family so much pain already?_

"He is my brother."

_**But that doesn't mean that I can't help you from the sidelines.** _

_Where is your rage?_ Lor'Vael demanded, clear eyes flashing dangerously as he flicked his blade back to his side with a flourish as Thor readied Mjolnir again for the incoming blow,  _Where is your rage?_

And so, as lightning and blackness clashed again, so did they.

_Where is it?!_

**N._.s._.S**


	39. The Hammer Falls

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Hammer Falls.**

**"This how the world ends, then. Not with a bang, but a whimper."**

**\- T. S. Eliot.**

**L** **oki stood at the mouth of the cave, arms folded at his side. He stared silently, blankly, up at the night sky, dotted with stars and constellations.** _The cool wind helped ease his troubled mind, and finally, after what felt like hours, he sighed, letting his tense shoulders fall and brushing back his long bangs._

**"He is my brother."**

_How could Loki have expected any different from Thor by now? Thor had always given Loki the benefit of the doubt, and even numerous, wasted changes at doing the right thing. Years ago, in New York, he had still given him a chance, even as his friends looked on in obvious disapproval. Then again when Malekith attacked, and while he was wary of him, he'd done the same thing even as Asgard was under siege and he wasn't sure whether the God of Mischief would only make things worse or not. Then, countless times after that, with Ceil Zak'Vael and the Black Hunt, he trusted Loki's words, through all the lies, and still trusted him to make the right decisions himself all along._

_All without question._

_All without hesitation._

" **He is my brother."**

_Loki turned when he heard a rustling behind him. He started when he saw Mimir standing at the cave's mouth- and was even more surprised to find the little golden bird perched comfortably on his shoulder. Both were staring at him with unblinking eyes; Mimir's deep black ones, and the bird's glowing, cerulean ones._

_Mimir rarely ventured out of his cave, even if it was for something so simple as a fresh breath of air. The cave was nicely insulated thanks to some ageless magic Mimir didn't care to name; and since the Old Master had escaped death millennia ago, he had no need or use for other comforts the living enjoyed either. There was practically no reason for him to leave- and besides, he didn't like leaving the Well alone for too long._

"You've become quite emotional, my little gremlin," _The Old Master said, sharply,_ "Do you not wish to watch this battle end? It was just beginning when you got up and left. You paid a pretty little sum for this moment, yet you don't stay to watch the fruits of your own efforts?"

"It's not as simple as that,"  _Loki retorted, darkly, folding his arms._

_The bird gave an agitated caw, which both Aesir ignored._

"I daresay it is," _Mimir answered, without missing a beat,_ "He defends you because, like it or not, he trusts you. I don't know why, but he does. And if you want to end this without regrets, you'll have to accept that."

"Why does it matter to you?" _The God of Mischief demanded._

_Mimir felt into the deep reassesses of his tattered clothes and pulled out the small, silver coin Loki had first presented to the Old Master when he arrived to the Mimisbrunnr._

"Because it does to you, gremlin," _Mimir answered, simply, putting it back into his pocket as Loki watched._

_At that very moment, as the coin disappeared, the golden bird flitted from Mimir's thin shoulder and fluttered to Loki's as the Old Master turned and walked away without so much as another word or a farewell._

_When Loki turned back, the entrance to the cave, and the Mimisbrunnr, was gone._

_Loki turned to the bird and smirked._

"It seems as though we may just have overstayed our welcome in the Old Master's hall,"  _He said to the bird, with a small, cheeky smile at the empty field before him,_ "What say we go check on our dear, older brother, hm?"

_The little golden bird cawed, almost agreeably, in response._

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he world came back with a heavy, startling jolt for Tony Stark.**

His vision pitched from right to left as he blinked and rubbed the blackness at the corners of his vision away with the back of his hand as a larger figure stooped overhead. His hearing came back then, and he could hear now a voice- but it was far away; and it took a moment as the taste of blood and salty seawater came rushing back for him to stop gagging for him to realize it was just Banner, and not the vengeful spirit (or maybe ghost?) of that magic-wielding lunatic Kai'Vael, back from the vast depths of the inky sea for his revenge.

_"What- what the hell-?"_

_"Tony!_ Tony, stop thrashing or you'll-"

_"- Ow!"_

The sudden, sharp pain in his chest was enough to stop Stark from making another movement, aside from flopping back into the sand, defeated and exhausted. Banner's form came back into clear view then, as well, and the man let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding until then.

"What happened to  _you_?" Stark demanded. He heard Cap's voice, but didn't quite catch what was said- whatever it was, though, Banner chuckled and shook his head as he knelt down next to Stark, dark brown eyes, still ringed with jade, winking with some unsaid mirth, "You get run over by a truck while I was gone?"

"No," Banner answered, calmly, "Just got caught in a couple bombs with Cap. You?"

"Used the suit and beat Kai'Vael out at sea. Blew myself up-  _accidentally_ ," He added quickly when Banner glanced over his shoulder, dark heavy brows furrowing at the correction, " _Accidentally,_  of course."

"Yeah, right." Cap called over from somewhere beyond Tony's line of sight, causing Banner to chuckle and shake his head as he helped Stark slowly get back up to his feet- and promptly lowered him gently back down again when he collapsed almost immediately after, "You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"Why, _Cap_ ," Tony retorted, in a mock-hurt tone that quickly caused Banner, who was trying his best not to laugh, to finally crack and start laughing, "That hurts. You know I'm  _always_  careful."

"Tony, you couldn't be careful even if you  _tried_ … which you  _don't_."

Cap, looking a little worse for wear, finally came into view as Banner sat back next to Stark in the sand, still chuckling to himself and running a hand through his thick, black hair as the blonde knelt on Stark's other side and quickly looked him over before following Banner's lead and sitting back next to him.

"A bomb, though, huh?" Stark asked, sitting back up. He regretted it, though, because as soon as he did, the sudden movements made him feel lightheaded. His vision lit up dangerously, and in a conscious effort to stay awake, he covered his face with his hands, "... Ugh. Damn it."

"You okay?" Banner asked in concern, "Did you hit your head?"

"Probably," Stark mumbled through his hands, "But don't worry. Just don't let me pass out again."

_Sir, suit has been powered off. Shall I reboot?_

"No thanks, JARVIS," Cap spoke up before Stark could even have a chance to think about what the good old AI had said, "We're good. But if you can locate Thor and Lor'Vael…"

"Hey," Stark spoke up, annoyed, "You can't-"

_Yes sir._

Stark chanced throwing a dirty look at Cap, and found that he could actually move without feeling like he was going to be sick. He glanced at Banner, and for the first time saw that his friend was covered in dirt, grime, and open scratches- the worst being a bad one that matted down the hair on the side of his head. Cap looked even worse, with a bad gash on the side of his face. His usually immaculate uniform was torn too.

"You guys look worse than I do," He yelped, "What the hell?"

"Well, it beats blowing myself up and nearly drowning," Banner answered with a smirk, and Cap actually chuckled, "And I've already patched up the nastiest stuff. But now, since you're awake, we can find Thor."

"He's not back yet-?" Stark asked in genuine surprise, looking up and seeing the black, swirling clouds high above the city as Banner helped him back up for the second time- this time, thankfully, finding that he could mostly stand on his own two feet without much help now, "- Oh."

"Right," Cap said, seriously, looking up at the blackened sky in worry as a clap of thunder sounded loudly, sending a shiver throughout the ground they were standing on, signaling what could only be their friend, "Not only should we not be out in the open like this, we need to find Thor."

"It's not like he's blowing up the city," Stark answered, though he threw a cautious look up at the sky himself, "How close is the lightning getting?"

"We're lucky to be alive, I'll tell you that much," Banner told him, warily, "Right when we fished you out of the water, there was a big wave of lighting that caught on the beach. Lit some debris on fire. But since you were in your suit, we had to rely on JARVIS to put it out while we resuscitated you."

"The air is thick and heavy because of all the fire and lightning, which is probably why you're slower to recover than Banner and I," Cap added, "If this goes on, New York won't be on the map much longer."

"So, where is Goldilocks at?" Stark demanded.

 _It seems as though Thor and Lor'Vael are located downtown, near the place where you first fought Kai'Vael, sir,_ JARVIS spoke up, unprompted, _It's also the center of all the lighting and earthquakes seem to be coming from._

"Okay, you heard him,"Stark said, seriously, as he wrenched the helmet out of the sand it was half-buried in, brushed it off, and gave it an affectionate, pleased wink before looking back up at Cap and Banner, with his old, over-confident grin that, for some reason, was always met in kind,"Let's go."

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he city had been devastated- but that didn't stop Loki as he flew quietly over the blackened city.** _The eye of all this chaos, all this destruction, was Thor after all. And Loki could not help but be impressed. He had known all along exactly what power his older brother was capable of, and he was certain now his friends, his team, would know well now, too._

_Thor was powerful- powerful enough to take down Lor'Vael, once and for all._

_He just needed the final push Loki was granting him now._

_The cyclone of blackness was situated in the middle of the massive city- and it not at all hard to find, if the lightning and blackness that had all but completely converged upon it was anything to judge it by. The destruction of the city seemed to revolve around this exact point; all of it. Even the tremors that rocked the entire city were probably to blame- and this realization only spurred Loki on, knowing that the end was fast approaching._

_And so, spreading golden wings, Loki dived._

**N._.s._.S**

**D** **arkness clashed once again with brilliant azure as Thor Odinson and Lor'Vael clashed again and again, each blow more powerful than the last.** The ground at their feet, as empty and smoldering as it was, trembled continuously under the strain of the two warriors' continued clashes, unable to stay still under the sheer rawness of the power being exerted so easily before it.

 _Where is your rage?_ Lor'Vael had cried, and Thor, summoning the rest of his strength into one final blow, answered him with a shout that could be heard throughout the ringing, silent city,  _Where is it?_

_"Here!"_

This next torrent was different from all the others that Thor had summoned- either in this battle, or in any of his previous battles. It wasn't azure lightning that spread forth from Mjolnir to the blackness and pierced it; but a golden power that seemed to decimate it in its tracks, and resonate as the world seemed to pause in the sheer power that was suddenly, without warning, engulfing what seemed to be the entire city in one great swoop.

A warmth spread throughout the hand that held Mjolnir, and out of the corner of his eye, Thor thought he saw Loki; standing beside him, grasping his wrist as though to stop the blow. His other hand, however, was raised toward Lor'Vael, who was paralyzed in thin air; sword still clenched in hand, white eyes wide with shock. Golden tendrils, much like the ones that had wrapped around the city at Loki's would-be "death," had wrapped around the Vael's entire body, stopping him in his tracks.

_**Open this world,** _

_**Expose their truths and their lies-** _

_**Their madness and their lives,** _

_**Expose it for me,** _

_**So that I may,** _

_**Harness it all as my own** _

_**And wield it so.** _

It was the Curse that Lor'Vael had placed upon Midgard, word for word- and as they were spoken, Thor met Loki's eyes and Loki slowly smiled at him as the golden light began to override the blackness that still swirled viciously around them- but soon, it was quelled and stilled.

The world's trembling stopped, and all was silenced.

 _"Hey, Loki,"_ Thor said, calmly,as the blackness began to crumble before them, _"I thought you were gone."_

" _Thor,"_ Loki answered with a wink,  _"I thought I was, too."_

The golden light pulsed black as Lor'Vael struggled fruitlessly against the golden binds. His sword was wrenched from him as Loki clenched his fist.

"It's over," Loki told him, evenly, "You've lost."

Lor'Vael doesn't even blink.

**N._.s._.S**

**T** **he world seemed to glow brighter as the golden tendrils spread out as far as the eye could see, wrapping around nearly anything it could reach. Stark, Banner, and Cap were no exception as they made their way toward the light, the source of all this new, somehow utterly silent and calm commotion.**

"Go toward the light!"  _Tony crowed with a chuckle, causing Cap to throw him a look as Banner, unperturbed, laughed,_ "But I swear to God if there's a zombie around the next corner-!"

 _He stopped talking, though, when he saw what actually_ was _around the corner._

_In the center of the golden light, still holding Mjolnir, was Thor._

_And at his side, was Loki._

"Oh, my God,"  _Stark began, as he and the other two sped up to a run, and Stark waved to get the attentions of the two Asgardians,_  "Hey, Thor! Loki! Over here!"

**N._.s._.S**

" **L** **oki!** We thought you were a goner!" Stark shouted with a grin as he and the other caught up.

"It was only temporary," Loki answered before turning to Thor, "You don't seem surprised to see me."

"No, brother," Thor answered with a smile of his own, "I am not. I knew you would come."

"So what happens now?" Cap asked with a raised-browed look at Lor'Vael, "To him?"

_That is a good question._

The five men turned to find Axel Hernsson, backed by guards, standing a little ways behind them. While his guardsmen still had their heavy white cloaks and hoods up, despite the quickly clearing sky above, Axel had abandoned his for a far nobler look that his position probably deserved.

His long hair was pulled back into a long, formal knot, and curly tendrils fell quietly over his broad shoulders. In place of his white, hooded robe, he instead wore an elegant uniform that while also white with a cape that trailed the ground at his feet, seemed to give the Vael more stature among his men. And perched at the top of his head, was a golden circlet, which cemented his title and showed off more of his powerful, imposing figure.

 _Release him, Odinson,_  Axel ordered, quietly, as he approached,  _Lor'Vael is now under my jurisdiction._

**N._.s._.S**


	40. And Justice For All

**Chapter Forty: And Justice For All.**

" **You get justice in the next world. In this one, you get the law."** **  
** **\- William Gaddis.**

 **T** **here was a long moment of tense silence, and for the longest moment, it looked as though Loki would not follow the Honored Lord's instruction.**  The God of Mischief's eyes shifted cautiously from the silent Lor'Vael to Thor- who, very slowly, shook his head, almost in a  _'don't do it'_  sort of way- and glanced back to Stark, Cap, and Banner, taking in their weary stances from their previous battles, still and quiet- but still, Banner's shoulders were rounded, tense, and preparing for what might happen if Loki actually did refuse.

Finally, though, the God of Mischief slowly unclenched his hand, and Lor'Vael fell gently to the ground and straightened up. Nonchalantly- as though it were the most normal thing in the world for a man who just tried to destroy not one, but two- he simply brushed his bangs out of his face.

 _Axel Hernsson,_  He said,  _Honored Lord at last._   _Your father would be so proud._

 _My father is dead,_ Axel answered, his large maroon eyes narrowing slightly, as though Lor'Vael had somehow insulted him,  _And if I have anything to say about it, you shall be joining him in the void soon enough._

"Axel," Loki interjected, sharply, "His crimes here far outnumber those against you."

 _I admit that is true, and very much so, yes,_  Axel agreedcalmly, clearly unperturbed,  _But for some reason, you did not allow your brother to kill him when he clearly had the chance, And Midgard's leaders are in no condition yet to judge him. And in light of that, rest assured that the Vaelhiem shows no mercy to those who have dishonored us._

Loki's eyes flickered back to Thor, and he slowly folded his arms in resignation, jade-green eyes flashing almost dangerously as he and his brother stepped back and Axel Hernsson stepped in, his guards already swarming around, spears swinging and chains appearing out of thin air.

 _Lor'Vael, by order of the Court of Lords, you have been hereby officially stripped of your position as Captain of the Black Huntsman. Our charge is treason,_  Axel declared, formally, as several of the guards chained Lor'Vael's wrists together,  _And added so accordingly for your crimes against the Aesir and Midgard; are abandonment and neglect of post and duty, insubordination, innumerable counts of attempted murder, heresy and coercion. You will be brought before the Lords of Court for trial. In the event that they find you guilty, you will be executed for this great dishonor- and according so to our Familiar Law, those who declare themselves friend, will suffer the same fate for your actions._

Axel turned his back on Lor'Vael then; sharply and on his heels, back toward Loki, Thor, and the others.

"You're going to execute his  _family and friends_?" Banner asked, always ever quick to point out any kind of glaring injustice, stepping up despite Cap's rather half-hearted attempt to stop him, "What does that accomplish?"

 _In the inevitable event of his execution, his 'friends' shall only see him a martyr and imitate his actions. The Vaelheim will show no mercy to quarter to traitors- and nor will I, no matter my own personal beliefs on this certain matter,_  Axel answered, without even looking at the good doctor, even as Banner's dark brown eyes flashed an outraged, defiant ringed jade,  _It is my duty to spare my people any further dishonor._

"But you'll execute  _innocent_ people who haven't done anything?"Now Cap was in on it, and Stark, too, looked horrified as the implications of what was being said finally hit him, "What kind of justice is that?"

 _It isn't your place to judge our laws,_  Axel answered, voice growing hard, his maroon eyes flashing in clear exasperation,  _While you have done my people a great honor by stopping Lor'Vael, and we owe you gratitude and aide, that does not mean we may extend to you the knowledge of our ancient laws. Lor'Vael knew the penalty for his crimes well, and yet he still committed them. For that, he must face justice, and as will his supporters._

"But what if his family knew nothing?" Thor demanded, "Will they die as well?"

_Ancient law dictates that those who have aided in treason in any way, shape, or form; even if they did not intentionally, knowingly dirty their hands with that dishonor personally, must die. Since the dawn of my people, our laws have been unyielding and merciless to those who have dared break them. It must be so, to prevent the toppling of our Realm's order._

"And if they've done  _nothing?"_

_If such can be doubtlessly proven, then it shall be up to the Courts to decide what to do with them…_

Axel looked back over his shoulder at Lor'Vael, who stood, bound and silent, in his captor's chains. Defeat, capture and even the threat of his own and his friends' and family's executions had certainly not erased the deadly calm that emanated from him. His blank, colorless eyes had remained on Axel the entire time; barely moving or even blinking, as though for some reason he was fixated with the Honored King.

…  _So let you pray that you have not given me yet more reason to dishonor your name._

At that, Lor'Vael blinked.

 _You have not won,_ He finally spoke, his voice bizarrely amused as he straightened his shoulders, causing the heavy, metal-linked chains around his wrists, arms, and neck to tighten threateningly,  _Not just yet._

 _You will be executed by the end of the night,_  Axel retorted,  _As you so rightfully deserve._

Lor'Vael blinked again.

Before Banner could say another word, Cap simply but a hand on his shoulder, stopping him with a slow, deliberate shake of his head and an oddly stern look. Banner shot him a dangerous look, but thankfully, being the kind of man he was, obeyed, though with some obvious reluctance.

 _Take him,_  Axel ordered, after a long, uncomfortable silence,  _And alert the Courts of his capture._

The chains tightened and forced Lor'Vael's body prone and tense again. With a snap of the Honored King's long, black fingers, his soldiers pulled on the chains once and Lor'Vael was lifted silently, easily into the air.

 _Lor'Vael's sentence will be forwarded to you personally by me once it has been carried out,_  Axel said, turning back to them as the soldiers slowly began leading Lor'Vael away. Their former enemy's eyes never closed, remaining on Axel and the others until disappearing into thin air in a wisp of black, smoldering ash and smoke,  _And there will be guardsmen stationed to ensure no further intrusion from the Vaelheim as your Realm recovers._

"What about all the people that Lor'Vael and the Hunt took?" Cap asked, shooting both Banner and Stark, both of whom were staring blankly at the place where Lor'Vael had disappeared, "Will they come back on their own or will we need some sort of special Curse?"

 _A 'special' Curse...?_ Axel blinked in confusion,  _To return your lost people? But are you speaking of a Blessing-?_

Stark threw up his arms in exasperation.  _"Oh, my God!"_

Startled, Axel turned to look at him, maroon eyes flashing in surprise, while Loki smirked and shared laugh with a chuckling Thor; Banner sighed, rubbing his tired eyes, and Cap threw him a half-irked, half-amused glance as Axel's features hardened, certain he was being mocked.

 _What?_  He challenged, folding his arms across his broad chest,  _What?_

"You could have helped us at any time?" Stark demanded,

_It was not my duty to-_

"Wait, what?" Now Cap spoke up, tossing a look over his shoulder at Loki, raising a gold brow in clear confusion- and something else that could have been close to anger, "You could have done  _what?"_

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Banner finally intervened, moving between the Honored Lord, Stark, and Cap, "It's over. We don't have to argue over who did what."

"Or what nearly killed who?" Stark grumbled with a glance at Loki, who simply raised a thin brow in response as Stark added, "Come on. If you actually could have helped, you should have."

 _For your information, the only reason why Loki Odinson is still alive is because I broke his Curse,_ Axel said, actually rolling his eyes, unfolding his arms, and throwing a terrible look at said Odinson in question- causing the God of Mischief to pitch one of his own right back in kind, _And this conversation is over._

"You can't just-" Stark began as Axel abruptly turned on his heels and walked away, "Hey!"

_I don't answer to any of you._

With that, Axel Hernsson vanished without even a glance back.

"Alien  _jerk_!" Stark crowed after him, furiously, "You f-"

"Tony!" Cap warned, advancing on the swearing scientist as Banner calmly turned back to Thor and Loki, running a hand through his curly dark hair as though nothing was happening, "I swear to God-"

"- Good to have you two back safe," Banner said with a kind smile, "But how  _do_  we get everyone back?"

Loki looked over at Thor and smiled.

"I think I have an idea…"

**N._.s._.S**


	41. Epilogue: Smile & Wave

**Epilogue: Smile & Wave.**

" **Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry."**

**\- Dr. Seuss.**

…  _ **1 WEEK LATER …**_

" **Y** **o, birdbrain!** _Think fast!"_

_Crash!_

"Dammit, Tony! What the hell?" Clint Barton swore as the scientist blew past him, shoving something large, heavy, and wrapped in a stained sheet into the archer's chest, shoving the man back against the wall as Stark himself bounded, three at a time, the stairs the other had just come up.

"Stark-?"

Before he could even finish yelling, something large and blue came barreling down the hall, slamming right into Barton with a bang just as he raised the sheet-wrapped package chest-length to unwrap it. The impact sent both Barton and the large mound crashing downstairs in a heap. Stark's package hit the wall on the way down, making a huge gash in the wall, before hitting the ground over his head with a resounding thump.

Barton wrestled with the large blue figure as he struggled to his feet, kneeing the other struggling figure in the process- but without much success, because whomever he was trapped with had a torso of rock, and Barton fully felt his kneecap jar violently in its socket as it collided with his opponent.

_"- Ow!"_

"Wha- Barton?"

Cap's pair of steel-grey eyes flashed in confusion, and Barton blinked away the shock- and dizziness- caused by their sudden toppling as the golden-haired man helped pull him back up to his feet.

"You okay?" He asked as Barton rubbed the back of his head, apparently completely unperturbed by his friend's attempt to knee him- and if Barton knew him like he thought he did, the 90-year old super-soldier had probably hadn't even noticed the sorry attempt- "Have you seen Tony and… and my… shield…?"

Cap's voice trailed off in dismay as he stared up at the stairwell they'd just tumbled down.

As it turned out, the large, round object Stark had thrust at Barton had been nothing other than the famous star-spangled shield itself. It had crashed right along with Barton and Cap on their way down, colliding with the wall and bursting it in a gaping wide, three-foot gash.

Cap bent and unwrapped the shield from Stark's sheet, running a hand over the star in the middle, looking from it to the wall with a distinctly amused look in his bright steely-blue eyes.

"What did he grab it for, anyway?" Barton asked, turning back to the gash and folding his arms across his chest, " _Where_ did he even get it? I thought all of our stuff was locked in the armory."

"It was," Cap answered, mildly, "But I caught him sneaking it out. Been trying to catch him ever since."

"Sure sounds like him," Barton shrugged, reaching out to finger the torn walling and whistling, "… Oh, wow. Pepper's going to be  _pissed_  when she sees this one."

"Gets an eyeful of  _what_ , exactly?" Now Banner's voice resonating through the hall where Barton and Cap were standing. He reached them and, after getting to the foot of the stairwell and spying just what had captured his friend's apt attentions, rose a thick, dark brow, "… And how long has  _that_  been there?"

"For about five minutes," Barton answered as Banner took a closer look, "Long story."

"We'll just blame the  _big_   _meanie green_  and she'll never know the difference," Stark crowed, appearing at the top of the banister again where he'd first thrown Cap's shield at Barton in the first place, "Anyway, sorry about the shield. You know I was working on it last night for the lightweight retractors…  _yow_ , look at that!"

"Yow!" Stark repeated, having just finally spotted the gash the shield had made. He jumped down to get a closer look at the damage and traced it with his hand for a moment before looking over his shoulder and calling out, "JARVIS, measure it and send it to the usual repair guy!"

_"Right away, sir!"_

"Anyway, the lightweight retractor's mostly done now," Stark said as he continued down the stairs, "I think you might want to test it out later. Just to make sure."

"That doesn't explain why you took it now," Cap pointed out, folding the shield under his arms as Stark met them at the foot of the stairs and Barton wandered off toward the kitchen- probably going to meet Natasha for a sandwich and some coffee like they did every Sunday afternoon, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Stark answered as he tried to swipe the shield again, failed, and stood up again as though nothing had happened at all, "Because I can."

Banner chuckled and Cap rolled his eyes.

"So any word on Axel or Lor'Vael yet?" Banner asked as Stark straightened up from yet another failed attempt, "I thought they were going to tell us what happened to him."

"They were  _supposed_  to," Stark clarified, darkly, "But I wouldn't be surprised if we never know."

"What?" Cap looked over his shoulder as he, Banner, and Tony headed together into the living room of the large, three-story penthouse, Stark sitting down heavily on a sleek armchair and casually pulling out his cell-phone, as he was wont to do at least a billion times a day, as Cap sat down next to Banner on the couch across from him, placing his shield between them, "Why?"

"You really trust that black-faced creep?"

"Well, no, I don't, but-"

"There you go," Tony said, with a dramatic wave of his cell-phone laden hand, his voice growing bitter as he added, "So, yeah. We might as well forget about it. The Vaelheim or whatever aren't coming back, aren't telling us what happened to the guy we fought tooth and nail to stop, and we're all better off that way."

"Come on, Tony," Banner said, shaking his head, his dark brown eyes, ringed with jade, winking at Cap as he egged on his fellow scientist, "You want to know what happened to him just like the rest of us do."

"Sure I do," Stark answered with a shrug, "But I'm not going to go after the  _Honored King_  or whatever the hell he calls himself, and since Loki and Thor aren't interested in what happened, there's just  _no point_."

"Then tell Thor you want to know and he'll find out," Banner reasoned, kindly, "He'll figure it out."

"Nope, no way." Stark shook his head with a roll of his eyes, his already short attention span distracted by his cell, "If he doesn't want to know, then  _I'm_  not going to be the one to ask."

Banner and Cap shot each other amused glances.

"So, what happens now?" Cap asked after a long moment of silence, picking up his shield and turning it in his hands, thoughtfully, "The world is safe, the Vael are probably gone for good, and by now everyone who was missing are being accounted for by Fury-"

"-  _Not_  everyone," Stark interrupted, seriously, "But I got a call from Sam Wilson this morning."

"What did he want?" Banner asked, sitting up a little straighter in his seat and throwing a concerned glance at Cap, whose eyes thoughtfully flickered down at the shield, "Anything on our  _missing friend_?"

Stark looked over at Cap and grinned.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

Cap looked up from his shield and returned the mischievous grin his friend was giving him.

"Definitely."

**N._.s._.S**

" **Y** **ou don't have to go."**

_Loki Odinsson looked over his shoulder and smiled, bright, jade-green eyes lighting up some as Thor and Jane both made their way out to the lakeside to join him._

"Oh, I'm afraid that I fully disagree," Loki  _answered, turning to face his brother as he added, quite cheerfully,_ "Just think of all the mischief I could cause out there…"

"Brother,"  _Thor cautioned, though with a smile of his own as Jane laughed,_ "You don't  _have_  to leave."

"I know,"  _The God of Mischief answered,_  "But this time, I  _want_  to."

**N._.s._.S**

**O** **ne couldn't sneak up on Loki Odinsson easily- you had to be swifter than the God of Mischief himself; luckier than Thor, more trusted than Frigga, possess a better eye than Heimdall, and more under-handed than the Old Master Mimir himself.**

Or you just had to be Odin.

Loki was almost certain that he would never return to either Asgard or Midgard- at least not while the Avengers (and not to mention Thor and Jane) still lived there. Maybe someday, yes, he would return and explore all four corners of that small, backward little planet- as he planned with the other Nine Realms- but that day was not today, and nor would it be for many years to come.

He was lingering somewhere between Asgard and Midgard unwilling to flit between either worlds just then, letting the golden palace sink in the back of his mind, cementing the final memory he'd have of his former home. The little golden bird cawed sadly as it flitted onto his shoulder again, lowering its head and staring at the golden city with its own unblinking, shrewd cerulean gaze.

Reaching into his pocket, the God of Mischief slipped out the sapphire dagger and solved Rubik Cube toy that he'd retrieved from the "grave" he'd visited before finally leaving that quiet, lonely Cliffside. He'd left the letter he'd written Thor, the rose, and the three white lilies behind- mostly for sentimental reasons, knowing they'd certainly be missed by their offended placers- plus, he didn't want to draw any more attention to Thor- and through his older brother, himself.

Slowly, deliberately, Loki slowly let go of the two items and let them fall back deeper into his pocket.

"Asgard will always be your home."

The God of Mischief didn't jump in surprise as he turned to see none other than the All-Father himself stepped through the rift between worlds to join him, though his bright, jade-green eyes flickered with some faint, silent amusement with the comment.

"I figured you'd come."

"Was that, perhaps, your intention all along?"

"Not at first, no," Loki answered, turning on his heels to face Odin, keeping his arms folded neatly behind his back, "But I changed my mind."

"Why should you do that?"

"Because you deserve that much, at very least."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, and Loki returned his attention to the golden city. With the rift, they could see everything and anything they wanted on Asgard; everything from the palace and the Bifrost to any person- and thanks to Mimir and his legendary, infamous tweaking, they could do so without even Heimdall ever being any wiser to their presence.

Odin joined Loki at the rift and stared down at his kingdom before giving a heavy sigh.

"You have been wronged."

"Don't start that with me," Loki warned, sharply, turning to look at the All-Father again, jade-green eyes flashing almost dangerously as he added, quite seriously, "None of it matters anymore."

"It does to me."

"Spare me your sympathy," The God of Mischief retorted, coolly, "I'll have none of it. As I said before I left, none of us get to be sorry this time."

"There is always time to apologize."

_And I'm not sorry, either. It's too late for that._

_It's never too late._

"I'm still not sorry," Loki finally answered, slowly, as he turned away again, "And I'm willing to bet that you're not exactly sorry about everything, either."

"No," The All-Father replied, quietly, "I am not."

"And there we have it," Loki said, after a moment of silence, "We would both be lying then, wouldn't we?"

_You are not your brother… and that is not an insult._

Loki hadn't thought about these words- or their underlying meaning- since the night he'd said them. Then, those words had been small comfort to the pain he'd been in and the fact that it was  _Thor_  facing off with the mad Vael King, and not him. He'd been so wrapped up in that, ultimately meaningless, detail that it had all but consumed him, leading him to leave Asgard at the slightest prompting.

_It is a_ _fact_ _. Your brother takes things in stride; he accepts things for what they are and doesn't delve too deeply into_ _why_ _because it changes nothing to him. He uses his heart, and instincts, to figure out what's right and wrong. You, on the other hand, think too deeply into small matters, and keep your emotions bottled up until they almost literally drive you mad._

Thor now, even in all his bull-headed righteousness, had been right all along. He was a far cry from the war-mongering, Jotun-hating boy he'd been years ago… but it had taken death, destruction, and losing a mother and a brother- twice, mind you- to see his own folly, and attempt to remedy it, late as the revelation was.

_You do, however, possess something Thor doesn't… fairness. You treat people just as they treat you; and return it in full. You saw me bringing you back as a sign that you could one day be forgiven…_

Loki's eyes closed as a feeling of acceptance washed over him. This was what he sought years ago, when he confronted the All-Father about his Frost Giant heritage. This was what he'd invaded Earth for when he was ultimately denied, and what he'd faced Algrim for in the Svartalfhiem. This feeling- this warm, satisfying deep breath and the smile that threatened the reserved frown he wore now.

"You will always be welcome home."

_I didn't do it for you._

Loki's eyes opened again, and he couldn't help but grin now as the All-Father vanished into the golden light with a silent, almost tranquil finality, and the God of Mischief doesn't bother looking back himself as he slowly begins to walk away himself, allowing the light to swallow him, too- and take him far away from Asgard and all the pain he'd been through in those sacred halls- away to a place where he could be no one's but his own.

A place where he could truly, truly be free at last.

_I know._

**N._.s._.S**

 

 


End file.
